Wiley Davis Perry, 92, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, April 9th, 2008, at Huntsville Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama. He died of injuries suffered in a fall in his home in Guntersville on Monday, April 7th. A native and longtime resident of Louisburg in Franklin County, North Carolina, he was the son of the late Archibald Wiley and Sally Allen Perry.

A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, he was married to Ada Lou Sledge Perry for 72 years before her passing on April 3, 2007.

Mr. Perry was the last survivor of his family unit, having been preceded in death by a sister, Eugenia Perry Holmes (Roy), and a brother, Everard L. Perry (Shirley), of Longview, Washington. He attended Old Mills High School in Louisburg and then Porter Military Academy in Charleston, South Carolina.

He is survived by a son, David Arch Perry (Sue), and a daughter, Peggy Perry Alston (John D.); seven grandchildren; and eleven great-grandchildren. All reside in Alabama except for one grandson, Alex Wiley Alston, and family, of Charleston, West Virginia.

Mr. Perry was a businessman in Louisburg for many years, including several years as owner and operator of the service station directly across North Main Street from the post office. No one ever loved Louisburg and Franklin County more than “Mr. Davis,” and through the years he was known to have helped many in countless ways.

One of the six original members of the Louisburg Fire Department and Rescue Squad, he always gave credit to Robert Hicks and Asher Johnson for getting the group started. He was a Mason; a member of the Scottish Rite; and a Thirty- Second Degree Shriner. He had received his fifty year pin, and was a member of the James A. Johnson Lodge #413 AF & AM. He served with the National Guard Battery B 113th Field Artillery. Mr. Perry was a faithful member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

He loved restoring old cars. He followed the races, the Atlanta Braves, and current events from home by reading The Franklin Times from front to back each week. He also read The Advertiser Gleam and stayed abreast of local news in Guntersville. Mr. Perry loved people and enjoyed Senior Center activities. He continued to visit Marshall Manor Nursing Home in Guntersville following the death of Mrs. Perry because so many there had no one to visit them.

Graveside service will be 4 p.m. Sunday at Oakwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Strickland Funeral Home, 103 W. Franklin St., Louisburg.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to a charity of their choice. Two charities Mr. Perry supported were The Shriners’ Children’s Hospitals and the Rescue Squad.