A tribute to the life and legacy of Ronald S. Perry: Ventura

The gymnasium at Catholic Memorial carries his name, but the legacy of Ronald S. Perry extends far beyond the building.

An iconic figure on both the local high school and college athletic scene for the better part of a half century, Perry passed away last Friday at the age of 92. As soon as people learned the news, tributes started coming from far and wide to talk about the man many referred to as “Mr. Perry”.

“It’s difficult to put in words the impact he had on my life and many other young men who played for him,” said former Catholic Memorial basketball star Ron Teixeira, whose number 52 was retired by the school in 2018. “He’s more than just a coach, he was a mentor to me my entire life and I would not be where I am today without him. We would always have our weekly phone calls at the same time every Saturday, which was something I looked forward to.”

Perry attended Somerville High School where he earned renown as an outstanding two-sport athlete. The first 1,000-point scorer in school history (his 1,154 career points is still a record for boys), Perry led the Highlanders to the Class A and New England titles in 1949. Perry was just as dominant on the baseball diamond, leading his team to an Eastern Mass. championship in 1950.

Perry was a hero to many youngsters in the community, one of them being Jerry Knight, who became a star hoop player at Somerville before going on to Northeastern. He would serve as the school’s basketball coach from 1972-1985 before spending the next 18 years as the athletic director.

“You just didn’t get athletes like that, someone who was an all-scholastic in both basketball and baseball,” Knight said. “I remember the first time I saw him play was when I was eight. He was a great player but he was always the consummate student, a member of the National Honor Society and class president.”

Added current Somerville basketball coach Mark Antonelli: “He was always very gracious to me on the phone, asking about my family and about the team. He even brought up knowing my grandfather and great uncles. As a kid that grew up on the folklore of Somerville basketball, I remember being in awe that I spent 30 minutes of the phone with ‘the Ronnie Perry’.”

Perry went on to play both sports at Holy Cross and was part of the glory era of athletics there. He was part of a Crusader team which won a College World Series title in 1952, winning two of the six games in the double-elimination event. A three-year starter in basketball, Perry averaged more than 11 points a game and was a starter on the 1954 squad which won the NIT title, in a time winning the NIT carried as much if not more clout than an NCAA championship.

“The best way to describe Ronnie was that he was a winner,” said Don Prohovich, who was a teammate of Perry on the NIT championship squad. “He was a legend, someone who just did everything well. When I was a freshman, I had to guard him in practice and he was just terrific.

“He was a great shooter but sacrificed some because we had Togo Palazzi, Tommy Heinsohn and Joe Liebler. When he was at Somerville, they used to have a College Coaches Clinic at the old Boston Garden and they would bring in some high school kids from Somerville. (Former Kentucky coaching legend) Adolph Rupp came out and was showing everyone how to shoot a two-handed set shot.

“He called Ronnie out to the court and then he proceeded to make 15 straight shots. Rupp walked over to him and asked how he would like to see the bluegrass of Kentucky.”

After graduating from Holy Cross with a degree in economics, Perry was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the fourth round of the 1954 NBA Draft (32nd overall pick), but opted to sign with the Milwaukee Braves. A three-year stint in the Marines cut his pro sports career short and he went to work at Catholic Memorial as a teacher as well as athletic director and baseball and basketball coach.

In 13 years as the basketball coach, Perry amassed an overall record of 292-34, won 10 Catholic Conference titles, eight New England Catholic championships and three state crowns. Longtime BABC coach/founder Leo Papile says Perry was as responsible as anyone for Boston’s arrival as a national power.

“First time I saw Catholic Memorial play was in Newport and they went up against Power Memorial and Lew Alcindor,” Papile said. “He was the first guy to put local basketball on the map, he gave us some legitimacy. He had a standard of excellence and he was always a gentleman’s gentleman.”

Perry had many outstanding players who went to compete in college, one of them being Bill Raynor. An All-American at Catholic Memorial, Raynor went on to star at Dartmouth and later was named to the school’s Hall of Fame. Now the interim athletic director at Oklahoma City University, Raynor holds Perry in the highest of regards.

“I describe him as a coach, mentor and a friend – someone who played a significant role in my life,” Raynor said. “I first met him when I was 15 and we maintained a relationship that continued from that point until the day he passed. One lesson he taught me which I carried over into all aspects of my life was to be poised all the time, be poised under pressure and maintain that poise no matter what was going on.”

Perry returned to Holy Cross in 1972 and served as the athletic director from 1972-1998. His presence was immediately felt as the school increased its programs from 10 to 25 and many of the sports flourished under his watchful eye. The longest serving AD in Holy Cross history, Perry oversaw tremendous improvements in the College’s athletic program and facilities.

Perry wasn’t coaching but he still had an impact on many lives, one of them being Peter Colombo. A standout quarterback at Brockton High, Colombo arrived at Holy Cross and became a decorated two-sport athlete (football and baseball), eventually landing in the school’s Hall of Fame in 1996.

“I just love the man,” said Colombo, who played second baseman alongside Mr. Perry’s son, Ronnie. “He was a good family man, a great coach and administrator and like my father (Armond, the legendary football coach at Brockton), he helped thousands of guys like me.”

In his later years, Perry was revered for his devotion to his wife of 59 years, Pat. She suffered a stroke and required constant care for the last few years of her life before her passing in 2015. Perry returned to the West Roxbury area and was a constant fixture on the campus.

“His mind was sharp as a tack,” said current Catholic Memorial basketball coach Denis Tobin. “We would talk about basketball and I would tell them how I used to come to the CM games as a kid to watch (Perry’s son) Ronnie play. Then when he went to Holy Cross, I would watch the games on Ch. 27 with Bob Fouracre. He loved to talk about the old days and all the great players he had a chance to coach like Ron Teixeira, King Gaskins and Billy Raynor.”

Catholic Memorial president Dr. Peter F. Folan arrived 11 years ago and still vividly remembers the first time he met Perry.

“He came into my office and we had a conversation about the value of athletics and how athletics shape and build character in the student,” Folan said. “We talked about the power of the coach as a role model and how important it was that they cared about the individuals on the team which I totally agreed with.

“When his wife passed, he came to the school every day for the past 8-9 years. I’d have coffee with him three times a week, he come in, sit on the bench in front of the school, talk to the students and teachers, and say a prayer in the school chapel on his way out the door.

“He was a consummate man of faith and high character. He was part of the greatest generation and a role model that we should all aspire to be.”

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENT: Visiting Hours will be held on Friday, November 1, from 4 to 8 PM, at Gormley Funeral Home, 2055 Centre St., WEST ROXBURY. Funeral from the Gormley Funeral Home, Saturday, November 2, at 10 AM, followed by a Funeral Mass, St. Theresa of Avila Church, 2078 Centre St., West Roxbury, at 11 AM. Interment in St. Joseph Cemetery. To live stream the Funeral Mass, go to www.sttheresaparishboston.com. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ron’s memory to Catholic Memorial High School, 235 Baker Street, West Roxbury, MA 01232.