The son of Welsh artist, writer and poet Alan Perry honored his father’s memory after his death. The Swansea-born father-of-two died peacefully on Monday, December 18, aged 81. His son Gareth Perry, who now lives in Texas, paid a moving tribute to his father and his impressive creative achievements.
“He was a very creative person, so he was very proud of his work and was probably one of his biggest fans of his painting and artistic style. But the next year he had been married to my mother for 60 years, so he was a devoted husband and father to me and also to my brother. He spent a lot of time at work, but he always made time for us,” says Gareth, 57.
Poet and professor Sketty has won the Eric Gregory Prize for Poetry and the Leslie Moore Prize for Painting, and has written 10 books of poetry and short stories. Alan wrote a book about the homeless in Swansea called Music You Don’t Normally Hear, which was adapted for the stage and all profits went to a local homeless charity.
(Image: Gareth Perry)
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The obituary said his work was broadcast on national radio and television and appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and anthologies. Alan was a founding member and trustee of the Terry Hetherington Prize for Young Writers, worked with the poet Jonathan Edwards and co-edited Cheval in several editions. He was also a judge for the Kavi Wadamutoo Mauritius Book of the Year award and his book of Waters poems was recently selected as an Arts Review Wales Book of the Decade.
Gareth said that when his father retired from teaching he spent a lot of time working with charities and supporting the homeless. He explained that when he took over his father’s Facebook account, he was surprised to discover that he had 5,000 friends from around the world and a large number of followers, including artists and writers from around the world.
Alan wrote stories, including a book about a character called Perkins, Gareth said. Gareth explained that Perkins actually played his father, while the other characters were based on other family members, including himself. “It’s fun to read these stories because he was writing about all these funny scenarios that happened to the family under a pseudonym,” said Gareth.
Describing his father’s art, Gareth said his father created fairytale scenes of Swansea Bay and the coast painted on driftwood he collected. Although Gareth said his father was a quiet man, he recited his poems to the crowd with a powerful clarity of voice that penetrated deep into the room.
The tribute said: “He was much loved and is survived by his wife Jean Perry, his two sons David and Gareth and his wife Cecile. Funeral arrangements are being made by St James Funeral Home and cremation will take place at Swansea Crematorium on 9th January 2024 at 2.30pm. You can get more Swansea news and other news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletters here.
Source: Wales Online
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
