Calvin Dwayne Perry

“The Man. The Myth. The Legend”

Hardworking. Humorous. Ambitious. Authentic. Family Oriented. A constant presence. That was our father.

Calvin Dwayne Perry was born March 31, 1966, in Philadelphia, PA to parents Calvin and Anne Lewis. He was the oldest of three sons. In January of 1971, the family moved to Lawnside, NJ where they established their roots and became integral members of their community.

Calvin was educated by the Lawnside Public School system for grade school, Camden County Vocational School (now CCTS) for high school, and continued his education at PENNCO Tech where he graduated from their Automotive Program. If you knew Dwayne, you know how much he loved cars; aside from working on them as a Ford Motor company technician, he also spent time collecting and rebuilding them. They were always easy to identify because he never forgot to slap a Transformers decal on the back, so you knew that they were his.

Calvin met the mother of his children, his best friend and partner in life, Annette Price, in 1987 when they were in their early 20s. Together they raised six children: Antoinette Price, Alicia Price, Aspen Price-Perry, Hanaiya Price, Aliyah Price-Perry and Akira Perry. In addition to being the ultimate girl dad to his six daughters, Dwayne was also the neighborhood dad and beloved by everyone he encountered. His home, pool and yard were always open to the neighborhood kids, and he also made time to volunteer as a coach for his daughter’s, Aspen and Alicia’s, basketball teams.

In building his family, he also began building his brand and his legacy shifting his focus from his passion of cars to his love for construction. He established his business Solidity Diversified LLC and anyone who has ever been to his home is familiar with his work. From decks, patios and fences to building an entire extension to his home; he was certainly a master craftsman.

Aside from his love of cars and construction, Calvin had an affinity for collections. He’d established an extensive Star Wars collection inclusive of Star Wars movies and paraphernalia. But his most notable collections were his exotic fish and turtles. He adorned his home with massive aquarium sized tanks and ponds to display his beloved aquatic collections. And as far as the intangibles, he captured and collected our hearts. Calvin was man deeply devoted to living a life where he could be himself and show up for his family. And we loved him for that.

His smile was contagious. His laugh was infectious. His presence will be missed.

Calvin was preceded in death by his parents, Calvin and Anne Lewis, his brother, Carlton Perry and his sons, Calvin D. Perry Jr and Chauncey Perry. He leaves to cherish his love and legacy, Annette Price. His children: Antoinette, Alicia, Aspen, Hanaiya, Aliyah and Akira. His grandchildren: Dracen, Dashel, Declan, Delain, and Eden. His brother, Christon Lewis. His sister-in-law, Aisha Lewis. And a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and extended family.