Obituary for Dr. Richard Decio Perera
Dr. Richard Decio Perera passed away peacefully at home in Pittsfield on Friday, Dec. 3, at age 88. “Rich” to his childhood friends and family, “Dick” since college days, “Dr. P.” to his extended family in the medical community, he was a beloved Berkshire physician, devoted family man, and gifted amateur musician.
Dr. Perera was born in New York City on August 15, 1933, to Mario and Rose (Pariser) Perera, raised in White Plains, N.Y., and spent summers at Lake Dunmore, Vermont, at a cottage that remains in the family. After his education at the Hotchkiss School, Princeton University, and New York Medical College, he joined Berkshire Medical Group in Pittsfield in 1962, where he practiced internal medicine for over 50 years. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1967-69, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Dr. Perera served on the staff of Berkshire Medical Center, held the position of assistant professor at U. Mass. Medical School, and was widely admired as a teacher and mentor of medical students and residents. “Dr. P.” was ever modest, but his many awards and distinctions – and above all the love and gratitude of countless patients and colleagues – attest to his kind, gentle nature and dedication to his profession. He was known for lingering with patients, giving them his full attention far beyond today’s rushed medical encounters.
He loved his work and retired only reluctantly, after a stroke, at age 80 – the same year he was honored as Community Clinician of the Year by the Massachusetts Medical Society, Berkshire District.
Another of Dr. Perera’s great loves was music. He played the trumpet from boyhood through college, sang for 25 years in the Oratorio Choir in the Berkshires, and took up the cello at age 52, becoming a valued member of the Pittsfield Community Music School Orchestra, Pittsfield Symphony, and Stockbridge Sinfonia. An avid photographer, for many years he developed and printed his own work, which was published in various outlets including The Berkshire Eagle. He loved bicycling and competed for over a decade in the Josh Billings RunAground triathlon (bike, canoe, run). He was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, served on the boards of cultural institutions including the Berkshire Museum and South Mountain Concerts, and performed other community service including as chair of the BMC Institutional Review Board.
Dr. Perera’s selfless devotion to his wife of nearly 55 years, Evelyn (née Lewis), during her long decline from Alzheimer’s was an inspiration to many. He kept her active and involved in the community for many years and insisted that she remain at home, under his loving care, until her passing in 2016.
He is survived by his three children and their families: Rosie Perera of Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Rick Perera (Cory Firestine) of Atlanta; and Jane Perera (Peter Stein) and grandson Isaac Perera Stein, of Boston. Along with Eve, he was predeceased by his sister Emily and brother-in-law Ed Schmitt, and leaves three generations of nieces and nephews.
The Perera family is eternally grateful to the extraordinary team of caregivers who saw “Dr. P.” through his final years in happiness, comfort, and dignity – above all Tami Bouchard and her husband Mike, whose family embraced him as their own.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 17 at 2 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield. COVID-19 vaccination and mask required.
To stream the service online, please go to: https://zionlutheranpittsfield.org
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Stockbridge Sinfonia (for a music scholarship fund in his memory), 1045 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 (stockbridgesinfonia.org), or to Berkshire Medical Center.
Dr. Perera was born in New York City on August 15, 1933, to Mario and Rose (Pariser) Perera, raised in White Plains, N.Y., and spent summers at Lake Dunmore, Vermont, at a cottage that remains in the family. After his education at the Hotchkiss School, Princeton University, and New York Medical College, he joined Berkshire Medical Group in Pittsfield in 1962, where he practiced internal medicine for over 50 years. He served in the U.S. Army Medical Corps from 1967-69, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Dr. Perera served on the staff of Berkshire Medical Center, held the position of assistant professor at U. Mass. Medical School, and was widely admired as a teacher and mentor of medical students and residents. “Dr. P.” was ever modest, but his many awards and distinctions – and above all the love and gratitude of countless patients and colleagues – attest to his kind, gentle nature and dedication to his profession. He was known for lingering with patients, giving them his full attention far beyond today’s rushed medical encounters.
He loved his work and retired only reluctantly, after a stroke, at age 80 – the same year he was honored as Community Clinician of the Year by the Massachusetts Medical Society, Berkshire District.
Another of Dr. Perera’s great loves was music. He played the trumpet from boyhood through college, sang for 25 years in the Oratorio Choir in the Berkshires, and took up the cello at age 52, becoming a valued member of the Pittsfield Community Music School Orchestra, Pittsfield Symphony, and Stockbridge Sinfonia. An avid photographer, for many years he developed and printed his own work, which was published in various outlets including The Berkshire Eagle. He loved bicycling and competed for over a decade in the Josh Billings RunAground triathlon (bike, canoe, run). He was an enthusiastic patron of the arts, served on the boards of cultural institutions including the Berkshire Museum and South Mountain Concerts, and performed other community service including as chair of the BMC Institutional Review Board.
Dr. Perera’s selfless devotion to his wife of nearly 55 years, Evelyn (née Lewis), during her long decline from Alzheimer’s was an inspiration to many. He kept her active and involved in the community for many years and insisted that she remain at home, under his loving care, until her passing in 2016.
He is survived by his three children and their families: Rosie Perera of Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Rick Perera (Cory Firestine) of Atlanta; and Jane Perera (Peter Stein) and grandson Isaac Perera Stein, of Boston. Along with Eve, he was predeceased by his sister Emily and brother-in-law Ed Schmitt, and leaves three generations of nieces and nephews.
The Perera family is eternally grateful to the extraordinary team of caregivers who saw “Dr. P.” through his final years in happiness, comfort, and dignity – above all Tami Bouchard and her husband Mike, whose family embraced him as their own.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, December 17 at 2 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsfield. COVID-19 vaccination and mask required.
To stream the service online, please go to: https://zionlutheranpittsfield.org
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Stockbridge Sinfonia (for a music scholarship fund in his memory), 1045 West St., Pittsfield, MA 01201 (stockbridgesinfonia.org), or to Berkshire Medical Center.