‘Greatest job he ever had’: Methuen officials announce death of Mayor Neil Perry

METHUEN, Mass — With “great sadness” Methuen city officials announced Saturday that Mayor Neil Perry has passed away.

“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 Mayor’s office wrote on Facebook.

According to his campaign website, Perry was a lifelong resident of the city. “From father and coach to educator and distinguished professional, Neil Perry prides himself and his team on transparency, honesty and integrity in shaping the city of Methuen,” the website reads.

At-Large Councilor David P. (D.J.) Beauregard, Jr. will serve as the acting mayor in accordance with the city charter and a January vote, the Mayor’s office and the Methuen city council said in a joint statement.

“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 service of an Acting Mayor under the terms of the City of Methuen’s Home Rule Charter,” the statement reads.

“He was so passionate about the city of Methuen where he grew up,” said City Councilor Joel Faretra. “I’m a transplant. But he’s lived here his whole life, raised his kids here, his family here.”

While Perry’s death was sudden, he had been ill for some time. However, his cause of death has not been released.

“He’s been battling some health issues for the last couple of years and he’s always seemed to bounce back,” said Faretra. “We all got the news yesterday morning that he had an issue again -- and that it just didn’t sound great, that it was all touch and go.”

A special election to replace Perry must occur within the next 60 days.

“The Office of the Mayor and the Methuen City Council remain dedicated in their efforts to maintain the smooth operations of the City government,” the Mayor’s office and Methuen city council said.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll called Perry a “wonderful and caring person” in a statement.

“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,” the Governor’s Office’s statement read.

Perry graduated from Central Catholic High School before receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Spanish from UMass Lowell. Perry later embarked on an over 30-year career at Raytheon.

He began his first term as Methuen’s mayor in January 2020.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio also grew up in Methuen.

“Very, very sad and terrible news for the city,” she said. “Neil Perry was an incredibly dedicated mayor who poured his heart and soul into this city up until the very end.”

DiZoglio said Perry is known for turning around the city after some tumultuous times. Last year, for example, Methuen’s former police chief and a detective were indicted on corruption charges.

DiZoglio summed up Perry’s legacy like this: “Integrity and commitment to this community. He turned things around for this city.”

Faretra said one of Perry’s proudest accomplishments was the city’s recent purchase of the Searle Estate, an historic property located behind City Hall.

“I think that will be a great thing for him to be able to put his name on as his last act as mayor,” Faretra said. “We’ll make sure his work isn’t done. A lot of us are really going to focus on these last 17 months and make sure what he wanted to finish, we’ll make sure it gets across that finish line.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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