Dr. Edward Perry, 88, of Sellersburg, IN, formerly of Salem, passed away on October 22nd, 2026. He was born on February 13th, 1938, to Raymond and Marie (Rodgers) Perry in Salem.
He is survived by his three children: Michael Perry, Michelle O’Neal (Chris), and Melanie Lusch (Tony Jr.); three grandchildren: Caroline Daniel, Christian Daniel Jr., and Cavan Lusch (Anna); and longtime partner: Jeanne Shinn.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Raymond and Marie Perry.
Dr. Perry was a 1956 graduate of Salem Community High School, where he did well scholastically and was a multi-sport athlete. In 1992, he was honored with induction into the Salem High School Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating, he continued his education and basketball career at the University of Illinois. At U of I, Ed earned his B.S. in Physical Education and earned three varsity letters in basketball. After graduating from U of I, he furthered his scholastic endeavors at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. In 1972, Ed established the first optometric/ophthalmology practice in the state of Illinois. He also served as President of the Illinois Optometric Association. In 1983, Ed sold his Salem practice and eventually moved to Florida, where he became director of an eye care center in Naples in 1985. In 1991, he returned to Mt. Vernon and opened what became the first full-service Eye Care Center in Southern Illinois, with the ability to get glasses “while you wait.”
In his personal time, he enjoyed his family, being outdoors, and fishing whenever possible. He loved helping others and volunteered his time seeing patients in the local nursing homes as well as being the Optometrist for the U of I basketball team. He loved his children and grandchildren, who will miss him greatly.
A funeral service will be held on Thursday, Oct. 29th, 2026, at 12:30 at Salem First Baptist Church, with Dr. Andy Dewitt officiating. A graveside service will follow at East Lawn Cemetery in Salem. Visitation will be held from 11:00 am until the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Salem Elks or Mission Salem and will be accepted at the service or at Sutherland-Rankin Funeral Home, PO Box 97, Salem, Illinois 62881. Online condolences may be left at www.sutherlandfuneralhome.com or the Sutherland-Rankin Facebook page.
