A retired Statesboro pastor known for his sense of humor promises to bring lots of laughs Tuesday night during the 31st Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Awards gala.

Dr. William H. “Bill” Perry, retired from First Baptist Church of Statesboro, will be keynote speaker for the prestigious event that will recognize 17 local residents for contributions to the community. The night will also honor three previous Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind award recipients for lifetime achievements, and one will be named the Statesboro Herald Humanitarian of the Year.

The invitation-only event will be held Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. in the ballroom of the Nessmith-Lane Building at Georgia Southern University.

Perry was born in Live Oak, Florida. After graduating from Suwannee High School in 1959, he graduated from Stetson University with a bachelor of Arts degree, and then attended seminary at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he earned a Master of Theology degree in 1967, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1976.

Before coming to Statesboro, Dr. Perry served as pastor of churches in Kentucky and Tennessee, as well as First Baptist churches in Pelham and  Hawkinsville, Ga. He served as pastor for Statesboro’s First Baptist Church from 1981-2004. Upon retirement, he became Pastor Emeritus of that church.  He also served as interim pastor for several; area churches over the past 15 years.

He is a past chairman of the Baptist Village Trustees; chairman of the Board of the Georgia Baptist Children’s Homes; president of the Georgia Baptist Pastors Conference, and a member of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee.

He has served as President of the Rotary Club of Statesboro; on the Statesboro Regional Library Board, and the Board of Ogeechee Area Hospice. He served on the board of the Bulloch County Chapter of the American Heart Association for 25 years, raising thousands of dollars for heart and stroke research through his annual benefit walk from Statesboro to Tybee Island.

Perry currently serves on the Grant Committee of the Bulloch County Hospital Authority and on several other local agency boards.

Perry is expected to speak about servant leadership, generosity, compassion and importance of community giving; topics with which he is very familiar, as he is a past recipient of the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Award in 1996; the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001; and the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2009. 

Married to Margaret Huyck Perry for 55 years, the couple has two adult daughters and six grandchildren.  

The Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind Awards, presented by the Statesboro Herald,  was formed by a group of local leaders over three decades ago as a way to return thanks and show appreciation for the “movers and shakers” of the community who have historically placed the needs of others before their own. Recipients of this honor are selfless, do not seek glory or attention, but quietly work through community events and endeavors to improve the world around them.

Named for renowned humanitarian Deen Day Smith Sanders, who often attends the event, the exclusive awards gala is preceded by a catered dinner before awards are presented. The theme of the event, butterflies, is representative of Sanders’ affinity for the beautiful insects and of her butterfly exhibit at Callaway Gardens.

Over the past 31 years, the Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind awards has recognized almost 900 individuals.

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at 912-489-9414.