Long serving North Frontenac Councillor Fred Perry dies

Jeff Green | Jul 13, 2022

Fred Perry was born and raised at Myers Cave, and like so many others of his generation he left the region for career reasons. But after a long tenure with Bell, he returned to North Frontenac when he retired.

In 2005, he was appointed to council when Councillor Dick Hook resigned from office for health reasons. He remained on council until he died last week. He had been in ill health for some time, leading him to move into Pine Meadow Nursing Home, and had been missing from council meetings. He had been planning to begin attending council meetings virtually, as his health had appeared to be improving, hoping to actively serve out the remaining months of the current term on council, which ends in December. His health took a bad turn, however, and he passed away on Thursday, July 7. Fred Perry was 80.

He was the dean of North Frontenac Council members. His colleague as Ward 1 (Barrie) Councillor Wayne Good was appointed two months after Perry, and has also remained on council.

“I don't think there is anybody that didn’t like Fred. He was easy going but stood up for what was right too,” said Good, when contacted early this week. “He understood the balance between representing the interests of the people in his ward, while looking out for the overall interests of the township. We did not agree on everything, of course, but we worked together well.”

Perry worked under three different mayors, and was chosen by several different councils to the position of deputy mayor. He also served on Frontenac County Council between 2006 and 2010.

In all of his years on council, he was only opposed in one election. In 2010, there were four candidates for the two Ward 1 positions. Perry received the highest number of votes, 577. He was acclaimed in both 2014 and 2018.

“When I came on Council in 2010, I was appointed by Council to Frontenac County Council. Fred drove me to the first meeting, which is a pretty long drive from North Frontenac, in order to let me know what to expect and what to look for. It was a gesture I have thought about over the years, a commitment to continuity and to the interests of the township,” said Ward 3 Councillor John Inglis, who served on council with Perry for 12 years.

Gerry Martin knew Fred Perry when they were kids growing up 'north of 7'.

“Fred was a few years older than me, and we both played hockey. He was leaving when I was coming in so we did not cross paths for long, but I remember he was a pretty good athlete at the time. We did not meet again until we both retired, came back home, and ended up on council,” he said.

“I don't think anyone took the job more seriously than Fred did. He really tried to help solve problems for his constituents if he could, and he took the finances, asset management, all of that, to heart. He saw that as very important for the long term viability of our township,” he added.

In recent years, Fred Perry has dealt with family and health concerns. He was very close with his wife Monica, and her death in 2014 was a blow to him. He developed heart issues in recent years, which led to his decision to move from his lakeside home to Pine Meadow Nursing Home.

He is survived by his son Preston, daughter-in-law Dana, and grandchildren Chris and Paige.