Obituary of James Joseph Perry

James J. Perry, MD, 68, of Yardley, PA, passed away on December 14, 2023, surrounded by his loving family.

James (Jim) Perry grew up in South and Southwest Philadelphia and began his education at St. Edmunds and Most Blessed Sacrament grade schools. He was a student at West Catholic High School where he was active in track and cross country and decided to pursue a career in medicine. Jim was awarded an academic scholarship to LaSalle University, majored in Mathematics and graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1977. Most importantly while at LaSalle, he met his future wife and companion of nearly 50 years, Lisa. Jim then entered medical school at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia and was awarded an Army Health Professionals Scholarship.

Upon graduation from medical school in 1981, Jim entered active duty in the US Army and completed his Internal Medicine internship and residency training at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco, California. Following a one-year staff assignment at Fitzsimmons Army Medical center in Colorado, Dr. Perry was assigned to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. After receiving specialized training in bone marrow transplantation at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Johns Hopkins University Hospital, he established a bone marrow transplantation program at Walter Reed. Jim completed ten years of military service in 1991, attained the rank of Major and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal.

After a year in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Jim became a member of the faculty at the Wake Forest University Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Perry returned to the Philadelphia area in 1999, joining a practice that eventually grew to become the Alliance Cancer Specialists. Jim served on the Board of Directors and then as the Chief Medical Officer at Alliance until his retirement in late 2021. He was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, The American College of Physicians, The American Society of Clinical Oncology, The American Society of Hematology, and The Pennsylvania Medical Society. A dedicated and compassionate physician, Jim enjoyed his work and relationships with both patients and colleagues.

Jim was beloved by his immediate and extended family. He organized memorable family vacations where everyone was sure to experience many wonderful things and always expected to be on time. His navigation skills were unparalleled, having carefully studied maps of the United States since his first road trip to Vermont for his honeymoon. Jim especially took pleasure in hiking with Lisa and Matthew locally, on vacations in over twenty states, Bermuda and on The Appalachian Trail along with a number of National Parks. Jim and Matthew enjoyed attending numerous Phillies games together, which instilled in Matthew a true "Philly" fan mindset. He started the highly anticipated annual Thanksgiving football game, inaugurated a family Karaoke party and created a daily Wordle competition. Jim also was a regular visitor to Sea Isle City and Stone Harbor, New Jersey. He enjoyed walking on the beach with his family, relaxing by the pool and showing off his wiffle ball pitching skills. Jim was a valued mentor to his family, especially his nieces and nephews, inspiring several to follow his path into medicine.

Jim was an avid reader and life-long learner who loved to explore the topics of history, sports, politics and music. This led to his exceptional trivia skills and the compilation of many music playlists that focused on artists from the 1980's along with a surprising affinity for hip-hop. Jim was a passionate fan of Philadelphia sports teams, especially the Phillies and Eagles. When he wasn't coaching from the couch next to his beloved dog, Scout, Jim enjoyed taking on projects around the house. True to his Irish heritage, he possessed a sharp wit and abundant sense of humor.

Jim is survived by his loving wife Lisa Perry (DeGregorio), his son Matthew and mother Ellen Perry, siblings Anne Giles (William), Thomas Perry, Margaret Davis (Timothy), seven nieces, six nephews, six great nieces, four great nephews, two great-great nieces and twelve cousins.

Jim was preceded in death by his father Elmer Perry, sister Helen Perry, sister Patricia Perry and nephew Christopher Gillespie.

The funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, December 22, 2023, at 11:30am at St. Ignatius of Antioch Church 999 Reading Ave. Yardley, PA 19067. Interment will be in the All Saints Cemetery 291 Durham Rd., Newtown, PA 18940. Calling hours for family and friends will be held on Thursday, December 21, 2023, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm at the FitzGerald-Sommer Funeral Home 17 S. Delaware Ave. Yardley, PA 19067, and again on Friday morning from 10:00am to 11:15am at the church. Condolences for the family can be left at www.fitzgeraldsommerfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org. Please enter “Jim Perry” in the Memorial information section, or checks can be sent to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, 1500 Rosecrans Ave., Suite 200, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266.  Please write “Jim Perry” on memo.