Perry James Morris

      Perry James Morris, age 87, Nevada, Missouri passed away Sunday night, May 5, 2024 at Nathan Richards Health Care Center in Nevada. He was born October 24, 1936 to James Morris and Alice Bogh Morris. He was united in marriage to Dianne Dahmer on August 29, 1957 in Springfield, Missouri.

     Perry graduated from high school and attended Southwest Missouri State Teachers College now known as Missouri State University in Springfield, MO. During the summers he was employed as a photographer at Silver Dollar City in Branson. He later received his degree while living in Iowa City, Iowa.

     In 1962 they moved to the Kansas City area. He and Dianne eventually settled in Raytown, Missouri and spent the next 30 plus years teaching in the Raytown Public School System. After retirement from teaching, he was employed as a graphic design artist. Perry was very active in the Kansas City Arts scene, serving several years on the board of the Kansas City Art Institute. He and Dianne never missed a Starlight Theater Production. He joined the Navy reserves and at one time was deployed on a submarine. He and Dianne worked for several years as volunteers with Breaktime, a program to provide daytime activities for Alzheimer’s patients.

     Many memories were created by Perry and Dianne as they traveled with friends to places like New York City for Broadway shows, to London, Greece, Germany and Istanbul to tour the countryside. Perry would sometimes send his caregivers away very confused as he told them in fluent German what he wanted.

     Perry is survived by his half-sister, Alice Curtis and her daughter, Merralee of Las Vegas, Nevada; two brothers-in-law, Chuck Dahmer and his wife Barbara of Nevada, and Pat Dahmer and his wife, Ruth of Littleton, Colorado; and one sister-in-law, Kay Wells of Grove, Oklahoma. Numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews also survive. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dianne, his parents, his step-father, Phillips Alexander; sisters-in-law, Tin (Maurice) Dahmer, and Sue Crawford.

     A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 9th at 10:00 a.m. at Ferry Funeral Home. Graveside services will follow at 11:00 a.m. at Newton Burial Park in Nevada.

     Contributions in Perry’s memory may be made to the M.L. and Grace Dahmer Scholarship fund for Nevada High School graduates in care of Ferry Funeral Home.  

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