Fred Gerald Pera, Jr. of Huntsville, AL passed away on Sunday, April 2, 2017 after a long battle with cancer. Born and raised in Pittsburg, CA he was the son of the late Fred G. Pera and Bessie Mary Evola. After graduating from Pittsburg high school in 1956 he earned his BS in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State in 1961. Upon graduation he enlisted in the army, based out of Fort Meade, Maryland, where he traveled throughout Europe and Asia supporting Army Defense Systems. After 3 years of service he continued his work with Defense Command as a civilian and transferred to Huntsville. It was there that he met his wife Dianne Meadors and they were married on September 21, 1968 in her hometown of Harlan, KY. They had two daughters, Jennifer Lynn and Leslie Ann. Fred retired after 31 years as a dedicated and respected Civil Servant. He continued his career with COLSA, Inc. where he and Dianne spent two years in Saudi Arabia supporting COLSA’s efforts with the Saudi military. They returned to Huntsville where he finished his professional career. Once in retirement he turned his attention to his personal passions. He was an artist at heart and enjoyed creating beauty in many forms. He loved photography, painting, music, and cooking, but his main passion was gardening. He created and cared for many gardens at his home. From vegetables to roses, orchids to bonsais, he had a gift for making things grow. He is survived by his wife Dianne Pera, daughters Jennifer Jenkins and Leslie Cobb, son-in-law Charlie Cobb, grandchildren Jacob, Matthew, Lane, Will, and his younger brother Ronald Pera of Seattle, WA. Visitation will be held at Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Airport Road Thursday, April 6 from 9-10 am with funeral mass immediately following from 10-11 am. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Huntsville Botanical Gardens or Clearview Cancer Institute. Berryhill Funeral Home assisted the family.
