Paul J. Perrigo

U.S. Navy
1942 - 1945
WW II

Paul was born to Florence and Warren Perrigo on June 2, 1919 in New London, Connecticut. He was brought to Grant City when he was two years old and grew up with his older brother, Richard.

Paul went to PS 41 and graduated from Haaren Aviation High School in Manhattan. After building PT boats at Elco in Bayonne, NJ Paul enlisted in the Navy. He was stationed in Boston, Newport, Quonset Point, RI and Argentia, Newfoundland. Then, in 1942 he won a competition for an appointment to a specialized Navy Aviation school in Chicago as an aviation metalsmith, which was a new technology for repairing an aircraft structure. Paul was an Aviation Metalsmith, AM2, with Navy squadron VJ 4 in
Norfolk, VA where they trained pilots for air-to-air combat involving airborne targets.

On August 8, 1943 Paul married Mary Alice (May) Sullivan at Our Lady Queen of Peace in New Dorp. They settled in Dongan Hills in 1950 and had three children, Jo Anne Ricci, Patricia Tighe and Michael. He had five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Paul and May were together for 59 years.

Paul was a route salesman for 27 years for Richmond Farms and retired in 1972 and later worked 12 years for Staten Island Bus Co. driving handicapped children. He was a parishioner of St. Sylvester’s Church. Paul’s brother was in the U.S. Army. S Sgt. Richard C. Perrigo was KIA on October 22, 1944 in Leyte, Philippines. Everyone in the family remembers that Richard’s military photo was always on Paul/Pop’s dresser.

An avid NY Mets fan, he also enjoyed house painting, stock cars at Weisglass Stadium, taking trips to Atlantic City, tending to his outdoor fish pond and sharing stories of ‘old Staten Island’ to his children and grandchildren. Paul would strike up a conversation with anybody and you would find him making new friends wherever he went.

Paul passed away in Staten Island surrounded by his loving family on June 25, 2003.

Sponsored by The Perrigo Family