METHUEN — Mayor Neil Perry, 65, passed away Saturday, according to city officials.
Perry, who has been battling kidney disease, was elected mayor in 2019 and was sworn-in to office in January 2020.
“It is with great sadness that the office of Mayor Neil Perry announces that Mayor Perry passed away Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024,” according to a statement from the city. “Mayor Perry has fought many health battles over the last several years but came back from each of them with renewed vigor to tackle, in his own words, the greatest job he ever had: being the mayor of the great city of Methuen.”
The statement went on to say that Perry’s “last and perhaps greatest achievement was securing the city’s purchase of the Searles Estate from the Sisters of Presentation of Mary, saving the city’s most iconic and historic property from an uncertain future.”
Local and state elected officials issued statements Saturday evening lamenting the death of the mayor while lauding his commitment to the city he loved.
Methuen City Council President Joel Faretra said that even though Perry battled illnesses over the years, “I’m still in shock. Methuen lost a great man today and I lost a better friend. We sometimes didn’t agree on things, but we were able to put it aside after because we both felt we were doing what was best for the city of Methuen.
“More than City Council meetings, I’m going to miss the phone calls that spiraled into Methuen sports and football. I am going to do my best to finish what we both started in 2020 and make him proud.”
State Auditor Diana DiZogliio, a Methuen resident and former state representative and senator from the city, lauded Perry for his hard work and dedication.
“Methuen suffered a terrible loss today,” DiZoglio said. “Our mayor gave his absolute all to our community, never wavering in his commitment. We will miss him very much. Sending love to his children, loved ones and team at City Hall.”
Lawrence City Council President Jeovanny Rodriguez said in a social media post that “Perry’s legacy of leadership and service will be remembered and cherished. My heart goes out to everyone impacted by his loss.”
Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll called Perry a “wonderful and caring person.”
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mayor Neil Perry and the Methuen community,” they said, adding that he was “a strong and courageous leader. He believed in and gave so much to his community. He will be deeply missed. Our administration is prepared to support the City of Methuen during this difficult time.”
Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger said the mayor was “a great friend and a dedicated civil servant who loved his city, its residents, and the honor of being mayor. He leaves a legacy of dedication, service, and fervor for everything Methuen. We pray for his peace and for the comfort of his family. We stand in sorrow and in support of the good people of Methuen.”
A joint statement issued by the mayor’s office and the City Council Saturday evening stressed the need to “maintain the smooth operations of city government.”
“Due to the untimely passing of Mayor Neil Perry, At-large Councilor David P. (D.J.) Beauregard Jr., is now serving as the Acting Mayor in accordance with the city’s Home Rule Charter and the Jan. 24, 2024 unanimous vote of the City Council naming Councilor Beauregard to serve as Acting Mayor, pending a special election to replace Mayor Perry, which the Charter requires to be held within 60 days,” according to the statment.
It also noted that under the city’s ordinances, the City Council annually elects one of its members to serve as Acting Mayor in the event a vacancy requires the the services of an Acting Mayor. That is the vote that was taken on Jan. 24.
According to his campaign website, Perry is a lifelong resident of Methuen. After graduating from Central Catholic High School, he achieved a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Spanish from UMass Lowell.
He began his professional career as a state certified Transitional Bilingual Educator in the Methuen Public Schools – teaching in the Corliss, Central, and Oakland Avenue schools. Following a series of layoffs prompted by the adoption of Proposition 2½, Neil decided to pursue what would become a 30-plus year career at Raytheon.
Perry became the director of Supply Chain Operations and Business Transformation at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. In this role, he was responsible for leading a team to provide Compliance and Governance, Business Data Analytics and Automation/Transformation, and Key Performance Indicators for the Global Supply Chain team including over 10,000 suppliers across the globe. He held positions of increasing responsibility throughout his career.
While at Raytheon, Neil earned a Master of Business Administration Degree (with a concentration in Accounting) from Southern New Hampshire University. He subsequently served as an adjunct professor of accounting at Northern Essex Community College.
See Monday’s print edition of The Eagle-Tribune for complete coverage. Updates will also be posted at eagletribune.com.