A STATESMAN GOES ON TO GLORY

ELLIS COUNTY – His death leaves a hole in the hearts of many Ellis County residents.

It certainly leaves a hole in mine.

Paul Perry (1960-2024), Ellis County Commissioner for Pct. 3, died at home this past weekend after battling cancer. 

A Milford resident, Perry was a seventh-generation Texan, and was born in Dallas.

He moved to Midlothian when he was four years old, graduated from Midlothian High School, and attended Baylor University on academic scholarships where he earned a BBA with a concentration in risk management.

While he has an extensive list of accomplishments, I think one of his greatest includes the fact he was a no-nonsense, tell it like it is person.

And for me – he was a friend.

I met Perry much later than most people in Ellis County, during the pandemic when I was grounded from my traveling. 

We talked every week during that time because he was always giving me information about one thing or another pandemic or otherwise.

And since it was Paul, well it was always fact-based, and, because it was Paul it was always something I did not know.

I was always learning something from him.

I could always call Paul and ask him the stupidest questions, yet he never responded with anything but respect. He also took me riding around the entire Precinct 3 so I would know it well and we talked for a long time about roads and bridges.

I would call him up when I needed a favor too.

Like taking me behind the scenes of the tornado a few years ago in Ellis County. I will never forget he said jokingly “the things I do for pretty girls.”

The thing is Paul was always doing favors for people, much of it completely unnoticed.

But, if I wrote a story he disagreed with or believed I got wrong, yep, he would call me or Ellis County Press Editor Charles Hatfield and share exactly where my faux pas was made.

That was Paul.

His other great accomplishment was his beautiful wife Rebecca and their eight children. 

He and Rebecca met at Baylor and were married 41 years. Not a time went by when I saw him, he didn’t say something amazing about her.

In a world where people forget to respect marriage, Paul and Rebecca were to me, the picture of a love story.

We all know Paul did love his time in politics, and he had a love for defending the Constitution.

He was an Ellis County Republican precinct chair for multiple terms, a delegate at many state Republican conventions, and a national delegate in 2012 and 2020.

He served as an Ellis County Justice of the Peace in the 1990s, then re-entered public service in 2013 as Ellis County Commissioner. 

When he died, he sat on the Optimist Club board; was a Rotary Club of Waxahachie member; a Paul Harris Fellow; a North Texas Crime Commission member; a Midlothian Chamber of Commerce ex officio board member; and a supporter of many charitable organizations in the community. 

He was in hospice last week, but prior to that, he had been working continuously throughout his 18 months of chemotherapy sharing the details of his illness with few, because his goal was to serve his community as long as he could. 

Ellis County Judge Todd Little said Monday that pending approval by the Governor’s Office, flags in Ellis County will be flown at half-staff to honor the life and memory of Commissioner Paul Perry.

Paul, we are going to miss you in Ellis County.

However, your spirit of love and giving will be forever in our hearts.

Arrangements for Paul’s memorial service are pending. Donations in Paul’s memory can be sent to Chains of Grace (chainsofgrace.org), FirstLook (firstlookcenter.org), or St. Mark the Evangelist Anglican Church (stmarkanglican.com).