[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 400]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         BARBARA STOCKTON PERRY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
North Carolina (Mr. Holding) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HOLDING. Mr. Speaker, on New Year's Day, we mourned the loss of a 
great lady, Barbara Stockton Perry. Today I rise to celebrate Barbara's 
89 years of life that she devoted to her Christian faith, to her 
family, and to her community.
  Barbara was born on November 3, 1926, in the town of Franklin, which 
is a small North Carolina mountain community that is tucked away under 
the Great Smoky Mountains.
  Though the population was very small, Barbara had a large personality 
and a keen mind. She was the valedictorian of Franklin High School in 
1943, and she graduated cum laude from Brenau College in 1947.

                              {time}  1030

  She then went on to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill 
School of Law. She was the only woman in the class of 1950, and she was 
a member of the law review as well. This was classic Barbara, 
distinguishing herself as a highly intelligent woman who was not afraid 
to break glass ceilings.
  Barbara's first position out of law school was as assistant legal 
counsel to the Belk Stores Corporation in Charlotte. Then, after 
marrying Warren Perry in June of 1951, she moved to Kinston, North 
Carolina, with him and became a partner at Perry, Perry and Perry law 
firm. There, she became involved in the State bar and the local bar and 
was named to the Board of Governors of the North Carolina Bar 
Association.
  Community service was important to Barbara. So throughout her life, 
she donated her time and efforts to a long list of organizations, 
including the United Way, the North Carolina Symphony, the Kinston Arts 
Council, the Kinston-Lenoir County Bicentennial Commission, and the 
Pride of Kinston organization. A lifelong educational advocate, Barbara 
also served on the Board of Trustees of Parrot Academy, Lenoir 
Community College, Brenau University, and UNC-Chapel Hill, where she 
was elected to two terms on the Board of Governors of the entire 16-
university UNC system.
  In recognition of her contributions to North Carolina, she was 
honored by two North Carolina Governors, Jim Holshouser and Pat 
McCrory. Both of these Governors awarded her the Order of the Long Leaf 
Pine. If ever anyone instilled and fostered pride in the great State of 
North Carolina, certainly it was Barbara Stockton Perry.
  Ever devoted to faith, Barbara served for many years on the board of 
Angel Ministries. She was a long-time member of the Gordon Street 
Christian Church and more recently joined the Faith Fellowship Church.
  While her contributions to her community are beyond measure, 
Barbara's true joy was her family. She lost the love of her life, 
Warren, in 2003, but theirs was a life filled with adventure. By all 
accounts, they traveled the world together and shared a dance on all 
seven continents. At home, this extraordinary lady was known to her 
family simply as Mama Perry. She was happiest when she was surrounded 
by her children, grandchildren, and extended family.
  Mr. Speaker, it is impossible to condense the life of this truly 
remarkable woman into a few short minutes. I will close in saying that 
I was honored and privileged to know her, and I give thanks to Barbara 
Perry for devoting her life to her family, her community, and her 
faith. She will be missed beyond measure. May God always bless her.

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