Jack
Perry's death ended his dream of seeing dad Gaylord Perry's
July 23 induction into the San Francisco Giants' Hall of Fame
and the retirement of the pitcher's No. 36 jersey.
Gaylord
Jackson "Jack" Perry Jr. died June 18 of leukemia.
He was 37 and a motivational speaker who worked for
Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.
"He
was looking so much forward to the show," said Jack's
dad. Instead, Gaylord will be accompanied by some of his son's
best friends and fellow ballplayers.
The
elder Perry, already a baseball hall of famer, not only
inspired Jack's high school and college baseball playing, but
he also coached his son in high school and at Limestone
College in Gaffney, S.C. There were many road trips for father
and son, some as early as toddler Jack's second birthday.
"He was a good kid, coming up," Gaylord said.
"We were best buddies."
Jack,
all 6 feet 8 inches of him, also played basketball for
Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, where he met another
best-bud, Todd Walker. Travel was a passion, and he and Todd
racked up some miles together. They started out in May 1991
with 1,900 miles on a used car's odometer. By September they
had logged 19,000 miles, Todd said. The pair also toured
Europe. "We went to 20 countries together, and fun ... we
had it," said Todd.
When
Jack met Judi
Some of
Jack's priorities changed when he met Judi Busen; he made her
a June bride in 1994. She loved that he was a happy person,
with his smile and his positive attitude. Daughter Megan, now
8, and son Jackson III, now 6, rounded out the family.
"Jack was an incredible father, hands-on, devoted
..." Judi said.Jack was also a successful commissioned
insurance salesman, so they were able to build a Lake Norman
house. One day while he was watching a sales tape about a
"critical care" policy, he stopped the tape halfway
through and bought the policy then and there from a Canadian
firm. What incredible luck.
Just 68
days later -- and after passing the policy's physical exam
requirement -- Jack was diagnosed with leukemia. Then came a
blessed remission.
Jack
was so thrilled about the benefits from his critical care
policy that he began making motivational speeches about it all
over the country, where it is just now becoming available. His
remission luck did not hold. The leukemia came back.
Devoted
dad
Although
not at his best, he was still the devoted dad. He sat in his
rocking chair and threw balls to Jackson; he drove Megan to
piano lessons and the trio had movie days.
"He
refused to give up if for just one more day with his children
and Judi." Todd said. "They were always No. 1."
Jack
found new friends in the simplest of places -- Bojangles,
convenience stores, gas pumps -- whoever, wherever, whenever.
"Jack
was the best friend anyone could imagine," said Nashville
songwriter and friend Doak Turner. "He was always
encouraging and asking about everyone else."
Jack
made every second count, said friend Kathy Fallin, "and
always had time for others."
Jack's
final resting place overlooks Davidson's softball field, where
young Jackson sometimes plays. Hit one out of the park, boy.
Hit one
for Dad.
Gerry
Hostetler
