Post by Marc LeVine on Aug 17, 2006 14:20:05 GMT -5
Community recalls bike rider’s friendship, smile
Leon Perry was a familiar face in Freehold Borough
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
MARK COSTANZO Leon Perry and his bicycle was a familiar sight around Freehold Borough for years.
FREEHOLD — Every small town has its cast of colorful characters. At 7:25 p.m. Nov. 17, Freehold Borough lost one of its most notable personalities.
Willie Leon Perry was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Route 9 near Elton-Adelphia Road in Freehold Township while he was doing what he loved best — riding his bicycle.
At the time of his death Perry was living in Freehold Township in a condominium complex off Route 9 near the scene of the accident.
According to Freehold Township police Capt. James Lasky, no charges were lodged against Brooke Miller, 27, of Point Pleasant, the driver of the vehicle that struck Perry in the main travel portion of one of the highway’s lanes of traffic. A preliminary investigation revealed that Perry was attempting to cross the highway. He died at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident, police said.
Most local folks may not even have been aware that Willie was the given name of Freehold’s most notable bicycle rider. Everyone pretty much just knew the 59-year-old longtime Freehold Borough resident as Leon.
For years, Leon rode up and down and around the streets of Freehold Borough on a bicycle built for, well, built just for Leon and built by Leon. According to his niece, Cheryl Allen, Leon built more than 100 creative bicycles over the years. His bikes sported any number of items hanging from them, displayed on them, even following behind them — depending on the weather, the season, perhaps even the time of day.
Blinking lights, American flags, a telephone, an ash tray, a car seat, even a wagon trailing behind one of his creations were all a part of Leon’s bicycles at one time or another. Those bicycles were also a part of the mystique of the man everyone in town knew or at least knew of.
In the days after his death, information about his life came to light. Leon was born on Sept. 30, 1946, in Neptune, to Vera Ann Elizabeth and James Boyd Perry. He spent his early years in Freehold, then moved to Connecticut to be with his sister, Beatrice, and her husband Rayfield Dawley.
Leon moved back to Freehold as a young adult and was then cared for by his sister, Sylvia Dixon, and her husband, Melvin. He worked in health-care facilities in Connecticut and New Jersey.
His bicycles, crafted with any number of mechanical devices and metal parts, somehow all came together to become the main mode of transportation that took Leon everywhere he wanted to go.
A bicycle also took him to his death.
Even if they did not know Leon personally, many residents knew “the guy in the army suit riding a bike.”
Leon was also the guy who constantly talked about airplanes — how he loved them and how he once flew them. Whether or not Leon actually flew the planes he so loved to talk about never diminished the magic of his story delivery.
Allen remembered growing up around Leon and recalled his fascination with bicycles and airplanes. She said he crafted many model airplanes and, of course, many unique bicycles. One of his bicycles eventually found a home in the Metz Bicycle Museum, West Main Street.
The accident that took his life two weeks ago was one that those who knew him were always fearful of.
Allen said although she and her family cared for Leon, he remained his own person.
“We made sure he had everything he needed,” she said.
“Taking care” of Leon seemed to be a family tradition handed down from one member to another.
“He never hurt anyone, and he was good to everyone he met,” Allen said. “He was just Uncle Leon.”
According to Allen, Leon was a retired member of the U.S. Army National Guard. Many people will remember seeing Leon in camouflage suits and other army gear. Allen said he was proud of his connection to the Army.
Residents will remember his smile, his lovable outlook on life and his ability to make anyone he spoke with feel special.
Last week a crowd that numbered in the hundreds came to pay their respects to Leon during a funeral service at the Higgins Memorial Home, Center Street.
The Rev. Malcom Steele, who knew Leon for more than 25 years, performed the service. He told the standing-room-only crowd, “If Leon could talk right now he would probably say, ‘God, look at the crowd I got.’ ”
Steele called Leon God’s child and a true friend. Steele, who had married Leon and his late wife, Shirley, looked out at the faces of those who came to say good-bye.
“It’s not how long you live on this earth, it’s what you do while you are here,” the minister said.
The crowd of people, along with the comments and stories shared by people in the room may very well have been the expression of the measure of the life of Leon Perry. The friends he made along the way, the hearts he so obviously touched, the souls that drew to him for his humor, his child-like nature and his ability to make a person smile are the legacies he left behind.
Many people commented on what they described as Leon’s “genuine” nature.
Freehold Borough officials joined officers from the Freehold Borough and Free-hold Township police departments, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and representatives from the Freehold First Aid Squad at the service. Members of the National Guard, local business owners and community leaders were also on hand.
Borough Councilman Kevin Coyne, who attended the service, said it will be hard to imagine Freehold’s streets without Leon and his bicycle. Coyne said Leon and his bicycle provided the borough with local color.
“There was genuine sadness in that room,” he said. “The tremendous outpouring of sympathy says a lot about Leon and a lot about our community and how this community embraced him. He was beloved. It goes to show you how far you can go in this life by just smiling. We’ll all miss him.”
In her travels as the executive director of the Freehold Center Partnership, Jayne Carr makes it a practice to walk around town to speak with residents and business owners. Of course, by doing that, she came to know Leon. She expressed sadness at his death and remembered times when Leon picked flowers for her one sunny day downtown and another when he left a small gift on her desk as a surprise.
Lynn Mound, who represented the Freehold First Aid Squad, said Leon was a different person on the inside.
“He is the perfect example of not judging people by what you see on the outside. He had a big heart and he was a very giving person,” she said.
Norma Randolph said her family and Leon’s family were close for many years.
“If you were down, he would bring you up,” she said. “He truly was a smile from heaven.”
Steele said he often feared for Leon’s safety as he saw him weaving in and out of traffic on his bicycle.
“The Lord protected him until this happened. You may question why this happened,” the minister said, before adding, “It shows our days here are numbered.”
Steele said Leon had no degrees and no financial status, but he managed to touch those he came in contact with.
“If you are able to touch people,” Steele said, “that’s the answer to success in life. Be grateful that he passed this way and left a legacy of fellowship, friendship and love.”
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Leon Perry was a familiar face in Freehold Borough
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
MARK COSTANZO Leon Perry and his bicycle was a familiar sight around Freehold Borough for years.
FREEHOLD — Every small town has its cast of colorful characters. At 7:25 p.m. Nov. 17, Freehold Borough lost one of its most notable personalities.
Willie Leon Perry was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Route 9 near Elton-Adelphia Road in Freehold Township while he was doing what he loved best — riding his bicycle.
At the time of his death Perry was living in Freehold Township in a condominium complex off Route 9 near the scene of the accident.
According to Freehold Township police Capt. James Lasky, no charges were lodged against Brooke Miller, 27, of Point Pleasant, the driver of the vehicle that struck Perry in the main travel portion of one of the highway’s lanes of traffic. A preliminary investigation revealed that Perry was attempting to cross the highway. He died at the scene from injuries sustained in the accident, police said.
Most local folks may not even have been aware that Willie was the given name of Freehold’s most notable bicycle rider. Everyone pretty much just knew the 59-year-old longtime Freehold Borough resident as Leon.
For years, Leon rode up and down and around the streets of Freehold Borough on a bicycle built for, well, built just for Leon and built by Leon. According to his niece, Cheryl Allen, Leon built more than 100 creative bicycles over the years. His bikes sported any number of items hanging from them, displayed on them, even following behind them — depending on the weather, the season, perhaps even the time of day.
Blinking lights, American flags, a telephone, an ash tray, a car seat, even a wagon trailing behind one of his creations were all a part of Leon’s bicycles at one time or another. Those bicycles were also a part of the mystique of the man everyone in town knew or at least knew of.
In the days after his death, information about his life came to light. Leon was born on Sept. 30, 1946, in Neptune, to Vera Ann Elizabeth and James Boyd Perry. He spent his early years in Freehold, then moved to Connecticut to be with his sister, Beatrice, and her husband Rayfield Dawley.
Leon moved back to Freehold as a young adult and was then cared for by his sister, Sylvia Dixon, and her husband, Melvin. He worked in health-care facilities in Connecticut and New Jersey.
His bicycles, crafted with any number of mechanical devices and metal parts, somehow all came together to become the main mode of transportation that took Leon everywhere he wanted to go.
A bicycle also took him to his death.
Even if they did not know Leon personally, many residents knew “the guy in the army suit riding a bike.”
Leon was also the guy who constantly talked about airplanes — how he loved them and how he once flew them. Whether or not Leon actually flew the planes he so loved to talk about never diminished the magic of his story delivery.
Allen remembered growing up around Leon and recalled his fascination with bicycles and airplanes. She said he crafted many model airplanes and, of course, many unique bicycles. One of his bicycles eventually found a home in the Metz Bicycle Museum, West Main Street.
The accident that took his life two weeks ago was one that those who knew him were always fearful of.
Allen said although she and her family cared for Leon, he remained his own person.
“We made sure he had everything he needed,” she said.
“Taking care” of Leon seemed to be a family tradition handed down from one member to another.
“He never hurt anyone, and he was good to everyone he met,” Allen said. “He was just Uncle Leon.”
According to Allen, Leon was a retired member of the U.S. Army National Guard. Many people will remember seeing Leon in camouflage suits and other army gear. Allen said he was proud of his connection to the Army.
Residents will remember his smile, his lovable outlook on life and his ability to make anyone he spoke with feel special.
Last week a crowd that numbered in the hundreds came to pay their respects to Leon during a funeral service at the Higgins Memorial Home, Center Street.
The Rev. Malcom Steele, who knew Leon for more than 25 years, performed the service. He told the standing-room-only crowd, “If Leon could talk right now he would probably say, ‘God, look at the crowd I got.’ ”
Steele called Leon God’s child and a true friend. Steele, who had married Leon and his late wife, Shirley, looked out at the faces of those who came to say good-bye.
“It’s not how long you live on this earth, it’s what you do while you are here,” the minister said.
The crowd of people, along with the comments and stories shared by people in the room may very well have been the expression of the measure of the life of Leon Perry. The friends he made along the way, the hearts he so obviously touched, the souls that drew to him for his humor, his child-like nature and his ability to make a person smile are the legacies he left behind.
Many people commented on what they described as Leon’s “genuine” nature.
Freehold Borough officials joined officers from the Freehold Borough and Free-hold Township police departments, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and representatives from the Freehold First Aid Squad at the service. Members of the National Guard, local business owners and community leaders were also on hand.
Borough Councilman Kevin Coyne, who attended the service, said it will be hard to imagine Freehold’s streets without Leon and his bicycle. Coyne said Leon and his bicycle provided the borough with local color.
“There was genuine sadness in that room,” he said. “The tremendous outpouring of sympathy says a lot about Leon and a lot about our community and how this community embraced him. He was beloved. It goes to show you how far you can go in this life by just smiling. We’ll all miss him.”
In her travels as the executive director of the Freehold Center Partnership, Jayne Carr makes it a practice to walk around town to speak with residents and business owners. Of course, by doing that, she came to know Leon. She expressed sadness at his death and remembered times when Leon picked flowers for her one sunny day downtown and another when he left a small gift on her desk as a surprise.
Lynn Mound, who represented the Freehold First Aid Squad, said Leon was a different person on the inside.
“He is the perfect example of not judging people by what you see on the outside. He had a big heart and he was a very giving person,” she said.
Norma Randolph said her family and Leon’s family were close for many years.
“If you were down, he would bring you up,” she said. “He truly was a smile from heaven.”
Steele said he often feared for Leon’s safety as he saw him weaving in and out of traffic on his bicycle.
“The Lord protected him until this happened. You may question why this happened,” the minister said, before adding, “It shows our days here are numbered.”
Steele said Leon had no degrees and no financial status, but he managed to touch those he came in contact with.
“If you are able to touch people,” Steele said, “that’s the answer to success in life. Be grateful that he passed this way and left a legacy of fellowship, friendship and love.”
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