Willard Peery, Jr. obituary
Willard Peery, Jr. was born on July 15, 1927 and left this earth at 91 years young on August 3, 2018. Willard was the son of Ruby and Willard Lawrence Peery, Sr., who was a Methodist preacher. Willard’s biological mother died shortly after childbirth and his father later married Ann McKissack, who raised Willard Jr. and his three siblings.
Willard attended high school in Algood, Tn., where he was valedictorian and salutatorian of his class. He played basketball and later attended Tennessee Technological University. He married the love of his life, Evelyne Byers, in 1947, and they enjoyed almost 71 years of marriage together.
Willard started Peery Construction more than 50 years ago and had a passion for architecture and building. His company was selected to build the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and the Boys & Girls Club, among many other projects. He was a faithful member of St. Mark’s Methodist Church for more than 60 years, where he sang in the choir for 30 years. He also served as the song leader for the Don Emerson Sunday School class. Willard served as president of the Stones River Country Club, president of the Blue Raider Club, and on the Murfreesboro Water and Sewer Board for approximately 30 years. He and his friends were known as the “Raider Roadies” as they followed the MTSU basketball team to all of their away games in the 1960s and 1970s. Willard was known as a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend to all.
Willard is survived by his wife, Evelyne, daughter Cindy Flippin and husband Harry, son Mike Peery and wife Crystal, granddaughters Meagan Flippin and fiancé Mike Polly and Melissa Peery, and step-grandchildren Mitzi Tuck and Reid Lawrence.
Visitation will be on Saturday, August 11 from 9 AM – 11 AM at St. Mark’s Methodist Church. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to St. Mark’s Disaster Team, St. Mark’s Choir, Alive Hospice, the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon Counties, or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. www.woodfinchapel.com
