Perry Rich

PERRY RICH

Williamsburg

Perry Nathan Rich, 39, of Williamsburg, passed away at his home on Saturday, June 18, 2016, surrounded by his friends and family after an

18-month battle with brain cancer. Funeral Mass will be 10 a.m. Tuesday, June 21, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Williamsburg. Father Joseph Roost will officiate. Visitation will be from 2 to 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, at Powell Funeral Home in Williamsburg. Burial will be in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery, Williamsburg. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held for Perry on July 16 in Williamsburg for his family and friends.

Memorials are for Perry's children's education fund.

Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.

Perry was born Jan. 12, 1977, in Mount Pleasant, the son of Phil and Jacque Rich. He grew up on the family farm in Crawfordsville with his three siblings. He went to school in the Washington school district starting in sixth grade and enjoyed playing basketball, football and track. He graduated from Washington High School as salutatorian in 1995. He then went on to Coe College in Cedar Rapids, where he played basketball and was an active participant in student government, residence life and the sports medicine program. He loved Coe College for many reasons, but most of all, because there he met the love of his life, Darcy Driscoll. Perry went on to graduate school at the University of Iowa and graduated with his master's in physical therapy in May 2001.

On Sept. 22, 2001, he was united in marriage to Darcy Driscoll at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Williamsburg. Perry and Darcy moved to Michigan for five years where Perry was a practicing physical therapist, and they had their first child, Sam (11).

Perry and Darcy moved to Illinois in 2006 so Perry could pursue his dream of working for Mark Kaufman at Athletico. Perry was a practicing physical therapist and managed an Athletico physical therapy clinic for nine years in Barrington, Ill. Perry loved Athletico and the people he met along the way. His patients loved him and he loved watching his patients get stronger as every week passed.

While in Illinois, Perry and his wife had three more children, Carly (9), Grady (4) and Charlie (2). Perry was a wonderful Daddy to his four beautiful children. After his morning golf rounds with buddies, he would pick up his sticks to bring "The Bigs" (Sam and Carly) out to the golf range to teach them the game he loved. He also coached basketball and football for many years for both Sam and Carly and loved not only watching his own children grow to love the game, but also all of the other children he felt so blessed to be coaching.

When Perry wasn't coaching or playing golf, he was either working out, running, working in the yard, or helping a neighbor. Perry also found time to cheer on his Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago sports teams. He loved his Hawkeyes, Cubbies, Blackhawks, Bears and Bulls. He has now passed that down to his children who have fond memories of watching all of the teams together as a family.

After being diagnosed in December 2014, Perry and Darcy moved their family back to Williamsburg in June 2015. Perry often told his wife that it was the best decision he ever made. With the help of the Williamsburg community, friends and family, his last year of life was full of memories, faith and love. Perry touched many lives during his 39 years of life and will continue to do so through his four beautiful children.

He is survived by his wife, Darcy Driscoll Rich, of 14 years; four beautiful children, Samuel (11), Carly (9), Grady (4) and Charlie (2), all of Williamsburg; his parents, Phil and Jacqueline Rich of Crawfordsville; two brothers, Neil (Kori) Rich of Crawfordsville and Darin (Diana) Rich of Washington; a sister, Stephanie (Tony) Dacey of St. Louis; a brother-in-law, Chad (Jodie) Driscoll of Williamsburg; a sister-in-law, Gina (Pat) Brummel of Williamsburg; in-laws, Bob and Linda Driscoll of Williamsburg; and 10 nieces and nephews.