Paul F. Perry

Lifelong resident, Paul F. Perry, passed away quietly at home on August 18, 2008 after a long battle with cancer.

Memorial services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug, 25, 2008, in the Sandpoint First Baptist Church. Pastor Ken Smith and Pastor Joe Gibbs will officiate.

Paul was born Sept. 17, 1945, to Darrell and Mary Perry, in the old Page Hospital in Sandpoint. Spending his entire youth at the family home in Dover, he attended both Washington and Farmin Elementary, junior high on Euclid and graduated with the class of 1963 at the old high school.

After graduation Paul working for Pack River Lumber Company and the Dover Mill before enrolling in Kinman Business University.

While in college he enlisted in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and spent four years in the Army Security Agency. Most of his time was spent in Germany with the agency, where he enjoyed a lot of time traveling throughout Europe.

For the past 22 years, Paul has been bringing together old buddies from then for a reunion every two years and putting together the gathering somewhere different in the U.S. has been a great joy for him. Keeping the group together for the past years has given him friends that have been inseparable.

After the service Paul returned home and back to Kinman Business University to get his degree. He decided that a career in accounting was not what he wanted to do, so quit school to embark on a career in the service industry that would last the rest of his life. In the early ‘70s he and owner Jim Pucci built up one of the most popular night spots in the Inland Northwest. While still running the Middle Earth, Paul was also working with a new restaurant during that era, The Garden. He eventually took over the running of the dining room an endeavor that lasted 25 years. His philosophy was always to treat his customers like family and some of those relationships still carry on in terms of their appreciation and respect for him.

Knowing that it took more than one income to earn a living in this area, he also added a couple more careers to his daily routine. He worked as a travel agent for Easyway Travel and because of his likable character and notoriety was able to increase the client base for that business as well as doing some travel himself.

A second opportunity that rose during that time was becoming a school bus driver with Bonner County School District. It was this career that Paul seemed to blossom with. His love of children and their safety allowed him the opportunity to rise from a driver to the lead trainer the school district. Through his knowledge of the industry and enthusiasm to see that drivers are the safest people to which parents are entrusting their children to, the State Department of Education made him a state trainer to facilitate workshops to districts throughout out the state. This became Paul’s passion which lasted twenty-three years. Even in the final months of his life, he would go into his office to insure everything was running fine and that “his” drivers were given constant and updated training. His greatest worry was his programs and ethics not slip because he is gone.

Paul was an “Operations Lifesaver” instructor, a program designed to teach railroad crossing awareness and safety. He also ran the “Buster” program that taught bus safety to elementary children.

He was a delivery person for his long time friend and associate Carolyn at Second Ave Pizza for many years.

Paul was involved with the Winter Carnival committee and activities in the ‘70s. He was part of a group that built floats for the 4th of July parades and Winter Carnival parades for many years.

Paul was one of the “six” original organizers of “Lost in the ‘50s. He was involved in the set-up, the decorating, the breakdown, the “Aspirin Rally Run” and the “Lip Syncs.” He and his many friends entertained crowds for many years.

Paul is survived by his loving companion of37 years, Marjorie Tilley; and stepchildren Duane and Kimberly Tilley; and the pride and joys of his life, his three grandchildren Samantha, Michael and Katlyn Kelly of Somers, Montana. Four sisters Wuaneta Zantow of Dover, Idaho; Arlene (Robert) Kalb of Sandpoint, Idaho; Dolores (Wayne) Herman of Kalispell, Mont., and Nancy (Ted) Crabb of Bonners Ferry, Idaho; an aunt, Jeanie Quist of Utah, and an uncle, Cliff Reynolds of Washington. He is also survived by, and in Paul’s words, “more nieces and nephews than I can keep track off.”

He is also survived by his “bus shop family,” his Second Avenue Pizza family,” his “Army reunion family,” his “Dover family” and many friends and neighbors.

Paul is preceded in death by his parents, Darrell and Mary Perry; and two brothers, Hugh and David Perry.

We will all miss him very much.

Family and friends are invited to sign Paul’s online guestbook at www.coffeltfuneral.com.

Funeral arrangements are under the care of Coffelt Funeral Service.'