Louis A. Perron

In 1968, LOU PERRON was named "Man of the Year" at Sacred Heart Church, Old Town Florissant, at that time one of the largest Catholic parishes in the St. Louis Archdiocese. But for his family and close friends, Lou was Man of the Year every day. Lou was born in 1929 on a dairy farm in the tiny town of Glover, Vermont. His mother and father were from Quebec, and Lou spoke only French until he went to school. The family was very poor, at times extremely so, but as he liked to say, they always had enough to eat and were always happy. That was true even as the family grew to sixteen boys and girls. Even as a boy, he was strong and commanding, recalling that turned heads when at age 13 he could hitch and drive a team of massive Percheron draft horses on his own. At age 17, he left the farm for the Army Air Corps just as WWII was winding down, planning all the while to return to Vermont where he already had a farm poised to raise Jersey cows. But while at Scott Field, Belleville, Illinois, he met Teresa Deck of St. Louis at a USO dance. Lou and Teresa were soon married, and he went to Washington University night school on the G.I. Bill to learn finance. He ultimately became a bank vice president. Lou and Teresa had five children. Marty and Ricky were born in the Hyde Park neighborhood of north St. Louis; Steve, Mary and Glenn were born in the then tiny suburb of Florissant. Lou was very active in Sacred Heart parish and the Knights of Columbus. He never, every turned down a request to serve on some committee or lead some project. Lou's greatest challenge came in the early 1980s when Teresa was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, at that time, a little-known condition. Drawing on his farm-bred strength and values, Lou cared for her for nearly twenty years without ever placing her in a home or hospital. Teresa never developed so much as a single bedsore. After her death, Lou continued to live with his disabled son, Ricky. Lou and Ricky took care of each other at home until Lou's death. Lou lived a life of devotion, committment and love for his family and friends. He will never be forgotten and will always be missed. Funeral from Hutchens Mortuary, Florissant, Friday, August 3, 2012, 9 a.m., to Sacred Heart Church for Mass, 9:30 a.m. Interment, Sacred Heart Cemetery. Memorials to Valley Industries, 143-B McDonnell Boulevard, Hazelwood MO 63042. Visitation at Hutchens Mortuary, 3 - 8 p.m., Thursday.

Louis A. Perron

April 25, 1929 - July 30, 2012