L. Tom Perry

For the Latter Day Saint academic and hymnwriter, seeLee Tom Perry.

L. Tom Perry
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
April 6, 1974(1974-04-06)– May 30, 2015(2015-05-30)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
Apostle
April 11, 1974(1974-04-11)– May 30, 2015(2015-05-30)
Called by	Spencer W. Kimball
Reason	Death ofHarold B. Leeand reorganization ofFirst Presidency
Reorganization at end of term	Ronald A. Rasband,Gary E. Stevenson,andDale G. Renlundwere ordained following deaths of Perry,Boyd K. Packer,andRichard G. Scott
Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
October 6, 1972(1972-10-06)– April 6, 1974(1974-04-06)
Called by	Harold B. Lee
End reason	Called to theQuorum 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 (1922-08-05)August 5, 1922 Logan,Utah,United States
Died	May 30, 2015(2015-05-30)(aged 92) Salt Lake City, Utah
Resting place	Salt Lake City Cemetery 40.7745°N 111.8635°W/40.7745; -111.8635
Alma mater	Utah State University(B.S.)
Spouse(s)	Virginia Lee(1947–1974; deceased) Barbara Dayton(1976–2015)
Children	3 (includingLee Tom Perry)
Signature

Lowell Tom Perry(August 5, 1922 – May 30, 2015) was an American businessman and religious leader who was a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostlesofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints(LDS Church) from 1974 until his death.

Early life

Perry was born inLogan, Utah,to Leslie Thomas Perry and his wife, Elsie Nora Sonne.Perry, Utahis named for Perry's ancestor, Gustavus Adolphus Perry and his family, who were among the first settlers in that area.

From the time of Perry's birth until he was eighteen, his father wasbishopof their LDSwardin Logan. From 1942 to 1944, Perry served as an LDSmissionaryin the Northern StatesMission,headquartered in Chicago. He spent about 10 months inMarion, Ohio,where he was instrumental in forming a branch in that city. He also served for part of his mission based inCedar Rapids, Iowa.After returning from his mission he joined theUnited States Marine Corpsand was assigned to the2nd Marine Division.While in training Perry attended church and activities at the Adams Ward in Los Angeles.

Perry was then part of the American forces that landed onSaipan,and remained there for about a year. While there he participated in the construction of an LDS chapel on the island.He was among the United States troops sent to occupy Japan after the war. While inNagasaki,Perry coordinated a group of Marines to help rebuild a localProtestantchurch.

Education

Perry graduated from the Utah State Agricultural College (nowUtah State University(USU)) in 1949 with abachelor's degreein finance.

While he was a student at USU, Perry served as president of the university's Associated Students.

Employment

Perry's first job out of college was working as administrative assistant working for the USU Extension Service. He also took graduate courses in finance during this time.

In 1950, before his second child was born, Perry took a Christmas retail season job withC.C. Anderson's(CCA) Department Store in Logan, Utah. CCA was a division ofAllied Stores.

In early 1951, Perry took a job with CCA at its corporate headquarters inBoise, Idaho.Later in 1951, CCA decided to appoint controllers in each of their stores. Perry was appointed as controller for theLewiston, Idahostore. When he first took this position he lived in Lewiston, but later moved toClarkston, Washington.

He was later involved in business jobs that took him toWashington,California, New York, andMassachusetts.

Perry was in the retail business during his time inBoston,Massachusetts. He became a fan of theBoston Red Soxand threw out the first pitch at a Red Sox game on May 8, 2004.

Early church service

In addition to his mission to the Northern States, Perry served as an LDS group leader while on Saipan. He oversaw more convert baptisms in this position than while on his mission.

He also served in the LDS Church as an early-morningseminaryteacher, as a counselor in abishopric,high councilor,counselor in astake presidency,and aspresidentof the church'sBostonMassachusettsStake.

In early 1963, after moving toScarsdale, New York,Perry was called simultaneously as a member of the New York Stake's high council, stake mission president, and special assistant to thepresidentof the church's Eastern States Mission. In these assignments, he worked withBernard P. Brockbankand Wilburn C. West in overseeing the creation and implementation of the LDS Church's pavilion at the1964 New York World's Fair.

General authority

Soon after his call to the Quorum of the Twelve (c. 1975)

Perry was called as ageneral authorityandAssistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostlesin 1972. The death ofchurch presidentHarold B. Leecreated a vacancy in theQuorum of the TwelvewhenSpencer W. Kimball,who had been serving asquorum president,became church president. Perry wassustainedas a member of the Twelve on April 6, 1974, and was ordained anapostleon April 11, 1974.

In 2004, Perry was asked by church presidentGordon B. Hinckleyto serve aspresidentof the church's Europe CentralArea,headquartered inFrankfurt,Germany. This was a position normally held by a member of theseventy.This made Perry one of the most senior officials of the church ever to be stationed away fromSalt Lake City.While serving in this capacity, Perry initiated a more proactiveinstituteprogram that emphasized meeting the social and intellectual needs ofyoung single adultchurch members. In 2015, he met withBarack Obamaand other LDS Church leaders at a meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Family

Perry married Virginia C. Lee in theLogan Templeon July 18, 1947.They had three children together. Perry's son,Lee Tom Perry,is an academic and was dean of theMarriott School of BusinessatBrigham Young Universityfrom 1998 to 2005. Virginia Perry died of cancer in December 1974.Their daughter, Barbara, died of cancer in 1983.

In 1976, Perry married Barbara Dayton.

Death

In April 2015, Perry was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.In May 2015, the church reported the aggressive cancer had spread and Perry died the following day, on May 30, 2015.At the time of his death, he was the third most senior and oldest living apostle in the church.His funeral was held on June 5, 2015.Perry was buried in theSalt Lake City Cemetery,next to his first wife, Virginia and his daughter, Barbara.

Works

Books

• Perry, L. Tom (2011),Family ties: a message for fathers,Deseret Book,ISBN978-1-60908-768-5,OCLC710044911
• —— (1996),Living with enthusiasm,Deseret Book,ISBN978-1-57345-136-9,OCLC34115910

Honors

• Humanitarian Award for Service to Others (2014) –Catholic Community Services of Utah(L. Tom and Barbara Perry)

Gallery

• 
  Black and white Utah State University yearbook photograph of L. Tom Perry. Image dates from 1947.
• 
  Photo of L. Tom Perry. Date unidentified.
• 
  Black and white photo of L. Tom Perry from around 1980.
• 
  Two color photographs of L. Tom Perry from around 2000.

See also

• Council on the Disposition of the Tithes

References

• "Elder L. Tom Perry – Leader Biographies: Official Biographies for leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints",Newsroom,LDS Church, January 2014
• Stack, Peggy Fletcher (4 April 2011)."Meet the unassuming, optimistic LDS apostle".Salt Lake Tribune.Salt Lake City.Retrieved4 April2015.

External links

• General Authorities and General Officers: Elder L. Tom Perry
• Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: L. Tom Perry
• L. Tom Perry Papers, MSS 6774atL. Tom Perry Special Collections,Brigham Young University
• L. Tom Perry Special Collections records, UA 5589atL. Tom Perry Special Collections,Brigham Young University
• Digital scans of some items from the above collections