L. Tom Perry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids L. Tom Perry |
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| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 6, 1974 – May 30, 2015 | |
| Apostle | |
| April 11, 1974 – May 30, 2015 | |
| Called by | Spencer W. Kimball |
| Reason | Death of Harold B. Lee and reorganization of First Presidency |
| Reorganization at end of term |
Ronald A. Rasband, Gary E. Stevenson, and Dale G. Renlund were ordained following deaths of Perry, Boyd K. Packer, and Richard G. Scott |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| October 6, 1972 – April 6, 1974 | |
| End reason | Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| Military career | |
| 1944–1946 | |
| Service/branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lowell Tom Perry August 5, 1922 Logan, Utah, United States |
| Died | May 30, 2015 (aged 92) Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Resting place | Salt Lake City Cemetery 40°46′28″N 111°51′49″W / 40.7745°N 111.8635°W |
| Alma mater | Utah State University (B.S.) |
| Spouse(s) | Virginia Lee (1947–1974; deceased) Barbara Dayton (1976–2015) |
| Children | 3 (including Lee Tom Perry) |
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Lowell Tom Perry (born August 5, 1922, died May 30, 2015) was an American businessman and a respected leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From 1974 until he passed away, he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, a very important leadership group in the Church.
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Growing Up in Utah
Lowell Tom Perry was born in Logan, Utah. His parents were Leslie Thomas Perry and Elsie Nora Sonne. The town of Perry, Utah is named after his ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry. His family was among the first people to settle in that area.
From the time he was born until he was 18, his father was the bishop of their local church group, called a ward. This means his father was the leader of their congregation.
Serving as a Missionary
From 1942 to 1944, Tom Perry served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in the Northern States Mission, which was based in Chicago.
He spent about 10 months in Marion, Ohio. There, he helped start a new church group. He also served for a time in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Military Service in World War II
After his mission, Tom Perry joined the United States Marine Corps. He was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division. While training in Los Angeles, he continued to attend church.
Perry was part of the American forces that landed on Saipan during World War II. He stayed there for about a year. While on Saipan, he helped build a church building for the Latter-day Saints. After the war, he was among the U.S. troops sent to occupy Japan. In Nagasaki, he organized a group of Marines to help rebuild a local Protestant church.
College Education
In 1949, Perry graduated from Utah State Agricultural College. This school is now known as Utah State University (USU). He earned a bachelor's degree in finance.
While he was a student at USU, Tom Perry was elected president of the university's student association. This showed his leadership skills early on.
Business Career
After college, Perry's first job was helping with administration at the USU Extension Service. He also took more classes in finance.
In 1950, he started working for a department store called C.C. Anderson's (CCA) in Logan, Utah. This was part of a larger company called Allied Stores.
In 1951, Perry moved to CCA's main office in Boise, Idaho. Later that year, he became a controller for a CCA store in Lewiston, Idaho. He lived in Lewiston for a time, then moved to Clarkston, Washington.
His business career later took him to different states, including Washington, California, New York, and Massachusetts. While living in Boston, Massachusetts, he became a big fan of the Boston Red Sox baseball team. He even threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game in 2004!
Church Leadership Roles
Besides his mission, Perry also led a Latter-day Saint group while on Saipan. He helped more people get baptized in this role than he did on his mission.
He also served in many other church positions. These included teaching early-morning seminary (religious classes for youth). He was also a counselor in a bishopric (a local church leadership group). He served as a high councilor and a counselor in a stake presidency (leaders over several local church groups). He also served as the president of the church's Boston Massachusetts Stake.
In 1963, after moving to Scarsdale, New York, Perry took on several church roles at once. He helped oversee the creation of the Church's exhibit at the 1964 New York World's Fair.
Becoming a General Authority
In 1972, Tom Perry was called as a general authority of the Church. This means he became a full-time leader for the worldwide Church. He was first called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
In 1974, the Church president, Harold B. Lee, passed away. This created an opening in the Quorum of the Twelve. Spencer W. Kimball became the new Church president. On April 6, 1974, Tom Perry was chosen to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. He was officially ordained an apostle on April 11, 1974.
In 2004, Church president Gordon B. Hinckley asked Perry to serve as the president of the Church's Europe Central Area. This office was located in Frankfurt, Germany. This was a special assignment because it's usually a role for a younger leader. This made Perry one of the most senior Church leaders to be stationed away from Salt Lake City. While there, he started a new program for young single adults in the Church. In 2015, he met with Barack Obama and other Church leaders in Salt Lake City.
His Family Life
Tom Perry married Virginia C. Lee in the Logan Temple on July 18, 1947. They had three children together. Their son, Lee Tom Perry, later became a dean at Brigham Young University. Virginia Perry passed away from cancer in December 1974. Their daughter, Barbara, also died from cancer in 1983.
In 1976, Tom Perry married Barbara Dayton.
Later Life and Passing
In April 2015, Tom Perry was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In May 2015, the Church announced that the cancer had spread quickly. He passed away the next day, on May 30, 2015.
At the time of his death, he was the third longest-serving and oldest living apostle in the Church. His funeral was held on June 5, 2015. Tom Perry was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. He was laid to rest next to his first wife, Virginia, and his daughter, Barbara.
Honors and Awards
- Humanitarian Award for Service to Others (2014) – This award was given to L. Tom and Barbara Perry by Catholic Community Services of Utah for their service to others.
Gallery
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Black and white Utah State University yearbook photograph of L. Tom Perry. Image dates from 1947.
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Photo of L. Tom Perry. Date unidentified.
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Black and white photo of L. Tom Perry from around 1980.
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Two color photographs of L. Tom Perry from around 2000.
See also
In Spanish: L. Tom Perry para niños
- Council on the Disposition of the Tithes
