Crossing guard retires his stop sign but recalls fond memories

Tony Perry is calling it quits after 22 years of service.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

HUBBARD — Young people, and more seasoned residents as well, will no longer be seeing a familiar face at the corner of North Main and Water streets.

For more than two decades, 86-year-old Tony Perry has made his way to the corner of North Main and Water streets near the city government building to assist children and other pedestrians across the street.

Armed with an official crossing guard hat, badge and stop sign, he has built 22 years’ worth of memories.

Perry’s days helping kids across busy streets came to an end Wednesday. He has decided to retire from his part-time crossing guard duties because of medical concerns with his legs.

Perry retired from LTV Steel in 1983. He spent the next year serving as a crossing guard for the school system, then started working as a crossing guard for the police department — a position he has held since that time.

Fond memories

Perry said he can recall countless children who learned the importance of crossing the street properly after he would pull them back from casually walking into the street without first looking both ways.

He also recalls more personal moments like the high school kid who pulled out a guitar and strummed a few songs on the corner after Perry asked him to play something.

“I have crossed some of these kids from kindergarten through [high school] graduation. Some I have seen go off to college. Some I’ve seen go off and move to other places,” he said.

Perry said he will miss working with and around the kids. He said the energy and smiling faces of those young people are the only things that kept him coming back to the corner every day for so many years.

“We were paid $7 an hour for years, but that went up to $9 an hour last year,” he said. “There really is no money in this, but it’s for the love of the job and just being around the kids.”

Keeping busy

Perry has tried to show his care for young people by encouraging them to achieve.

He had been a participant in the Senior Olympics for 15 years and would give his medals to school-age children at the end of each competition. He said he hopes the medals will encourage young people to reach their full potential.

Perry said his wife died in March, but he plans to now pass his days spending time with his four adult children and friends. He also plans to continue attending Youngstown State University home football games, of which he has missed only two in the last 25 years.

As for his guard duties, Perry hopes the city will allow him to keep the crossing guard hat he has worn daily. He said the hat should be hung from his wall at home as a memory of all the time he has spent serving the city.

jgoodwin@vindy.com