Obituary of Rhett Seymour Perry

Rhett Seymour Perry

May 31, 1947 – June 1, 2023

Rhett was born at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile, Alabama to Colonel Edward Lloyd Perry Jr. and Edith Edwards Perry. Rhett was an Air Force brat and lived at many bases in the United States and Japan during his childhood. The family eventually settled in Melbourne, FL where Rhett attended Melbourne High School (he majored in surfing). At seventeen he joined the U.S. Navy and served aboard the aircraft carrier - USS Hornet, in Vietnam.

Eventually, Rhett found his way back to the Melbourne area where he met Gloria (nee’ Grieshaber). They married in 1977. Rhett was employed by Harris Corporation as a program designer for electrical power systems. He had the distinction of being the first employee Harris “put through” college. In 1984, he earned his degree at Florida Institute of Technology in Computer Engineering. His career as a software engineer flourished through innumerable mergers and name changes until he retired from General Electric (GE) in 2014.

Rhett was always an active person. He loved sailing, racquetball, and scuba diving. After retirement, he discovered he had a flair for gardening and grew nearly all the family’s veggies. He and Gloria were also enthusiastic beekeepers.

He loved nothing better than to be with his family. As their interests grew and changed so did Rhett’s. He earned his black belt in Dai-Yoshin Ryu Bo-Jutstu and Yoshin Ryu Aiki-jutsu. He and Gloria embraced a nearly vegan lifestyle. Through his children, he found his true passion CLIMBING! Many a family trip was planned around climbing and bouldering.

In 2016 Rhett was diagnosed with cancer due to exposure to Agent Orange. He fought and then fought again and again through the ensuing years but never once lost his zest for life or his positive attitude.

Rhett is survived by Gloria and their children and grandchildren; Jason (Julie), June (John) Perry, Sashi Artiles, grandsons Everett and Kayda, sisters Tina Perry, Rebecca (Tom) Klinger, brothers Edward Perry, Bruce Perry, and many adored nieces and nephews. No remembrance would be complete without mentioning these bonus siblings gained through marriage but as dear to Rhett as any biological relative – you were his people – Anna and Nick Lenoci, Nick and Stephanie Jayne Grieshaber, Winnie Grieshaber, Susan Rule, and Thomas Klinger.