Phillip Perry had two families — his biological family and his wrestling family.
His brother and best friend, Tyler, stood by his side in both.
“I remember all the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations and summers we would spend training and working out because we wanted to be great together,” he said. “Phillip’s work ethic was second to none and he never complained — just always wanted to get better. It developed an unbreakable bond and pulled us so close together.”
Phillip Perry, of Hannibal, died Aug. 2 in an automobile accident just outside of his hometown.
A freshman, Perry was majoring in secondary education. He wanted to be a teacher after he completed school. This year would have been his second on MU’s wrestling team, and head coach Brad Smith said he had nothing but high expectations.
“He wrestles very unorthodox — flip-flopping all over the map and having fun,” he said. “You didn’t even notice how well he was doing half of the time, but next thing you know, I turn around and he’s in the finals of his first tournament in college.”
During Perry’s time at MU, his record was 13-4. Prior to college, Perry wrestled for Hannibal High School, where he recorded three top-three finishes in the state and was named All-American several times.
There was no question whether Perry would wrestle for MU, his father said. Perry’s brother was on the team, so the family has been acquainted with the program for quite some time.
“He’s been coming to my camps, and I’ve been watching him wrestle forever,” Smith said. “He’s always wanted to be a Tiger. He had a great passion for the program.”
Off the mat, Perry touched peoples’ lives. Tyler Perry noted that of the 1,500 people who attended his brother’s visitation, everyone had a story to share.
Devin Perry said “happy” is a perfect word to describe his son.
“He was always happy,” Devin said. “He didn’t see bad in people and he didn’t have a clique. He was friends with everybody. He knew everybody and everybody knew him.”
But Perry didn’t hog his happiness. Instead, he shared it with others, especially his brother. Their mother Jill Perry said one story in particular stands out in her mind. When Tyler turned 10, he got a bike as a present.
“We have a picture of him when he walked out of the door and saw it – big smile on his face,” she said. “However, it wasn’t as big as the joy on Phillip’s face. He was standing off to the side and got captured in the picture. It was so indicative of his feelings for Tyler. I really believe he was happier for Tyler than Tyler was for himself.”
The brothers’ bond was nothing short of beautiful, she said. Tyler said he could go on for days about the number of memories the two shared, but some that came to mind were the more than 100 heavy metal bands they saw together and a time they went cliff diving this past summer.
“I was very hesitant when I got up top and looked over the edge,” he said. “A huge part of me was saying there is no way I am jumping off this. When I turned around to look for Phil, he came sprinting by me and said, ‘See you at the bottom,’ and jumped off the edge. No way was I going to let my little brother show me up, so over the edge I went as well.”
Memories like these will stick with Tyler forever, he said.
“As I look back, I keep trying to tell myself not to be sad but to be so glad that I had him for 19 years,” Tyler Perry said. “We did everything together and I will always treasure the time I got to spend with him.”
Five words will forever bring a smile to Jill Perry’s face when she thinks of her son.
“The last words that Phillip said to me were, ‘I love you too, momma,’” she said. “I will cherish them forever.”
Smith spoke for everyone when he said he’ll miss Phillip.
“We’ve lost a part of our family,” Smith said. “They don’t prepare you for this.”