Henry Joseph Perras, a longtime resident of Amherst, NH, passed away peacefully at home on August 17, 2026 after a long battle with dementia. He was 89 years old.

Henry was born in Claremont, NH, on November 30, 1936, the son of Antonio Perras and Irene Hall Perras. He spent his formative years in Claremont where his family moved frequently to different houses around town. The most important move was when the family relocated to Green St., and Henry met the pretty girl across the street, Barbara Burke, who eventually became his high school sweetheart (after he finally got up the courage to talk to her). Although he fell in love with Barbara, he felt strongly about serving his country and left high school early to enlist in the military, joining the United States Air Force in 1954. He was stationed at Loring Air Force Base in Caribou, Maine, from 1955 to 1958 where he proudly served with the 42nd Armament & Electronics Squadron as an aircraft radio mechanic.

Although their paths temporarily diverged when Henry entered the Air Force and Barbara attended the University of New Hampshire, they eventually found their way back to one another, and were married on July 4, 1959. It was the start of a 67 year marriage.

Once married, Henry and Barbara moved to Somerville, MA, where Henry worked as an aircraft mechanic at Logan Airport in Boston for Eastern Airlines. He later moved on to a job at Harvard University, working as a technician in support of the Cambridge Electron Accelerator. While continuing to work and raise his growing family, Henry earned an Associate's Degree in Electronics from the University of Lowell in Lowell, MA.

In 1972, Henry joined MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA as an electronic engineer where he designed and built printed circuit boards used in communication satellites. He remained there until his retirement in 1995. A man who dropped out of high school to serve in the military ended up working for both Harvard and MIT. Pretty impressive.

As their family grew, Henry and Barbara moved from their Somerville apartment to Andover Road in Billerica, MA in 1963. They remained there until 1977, when Henry fulfilled his desire to return to his home state of New Hampshire. They moved the family to Aglipay Drive in Amherst where Henry remained a resident for the next 49 years, and where Barbara continues to call home.

Henry was a hardworking father who believed in discipline, responsibility, and the value of learning how to do things for yourself. His sons were introduced to chores at an early age, especially helping to tend to his beloved vegetable garden, and they were kept busy throughout their teenage years. Yet when his sons grew up and began taking on projects of their own, Henry was always ready to give advice (wanted or unwanted) and lend a hand. As an engineer, he was always a problem-solver, but not just limited to mechanical or electronic devices. He was always someone you could count on to find a solution to a problem you were facing, and devise a plan to achieve a goal.

Henry was a proud and avid ham radio operator (call sign K1ZDI). One of his top priorities after moving into the new home in Amherst was installing a 60-foot tower in the yard on which to mount his ham radio antenna, and constructing a “ham shack” in the garage where he spent countless hours communicating with people from all over the world by both voice and Morse code.

He always had an affinity for electronics, and was always curious about radio, television, and eventually computers where he would custom-build his own computers and became the family’s unofficial IT guy in his 60s and 70s.

His love of learning never waned in his later years as he always had books checked out from the local library on various topics of interest, especially U.S. History. He also started taking foreign language classes.

Retirement also gave Henry and Barbara the opportunity to enjoy more time together after years of working opposite schedules while raising their family. They loved riding their bicycles together, making annual fall trips to Cape Cod, and kayaking at local ponds, lakes, and state parks. There was also more time for gardening, with Henry tending to a wide variety of vegetables, and Barbara tending to her beautiful array of flowers all over the yard.

Henry remained physically active well into his retirement. He was a dedicated player in the Nashua Senior Softball League and became a team manager and officer who helped run the league, including developing its very first website. He also helped form a brand new league for players over the age of 70. During the softball off-season, he spent several years bowling in a candlepin league at Leda Lanes in Nashua. He maintained a regular gym routine throughout his retirement, and remained committed to staying fit.

Music was another vital part of Henry's life. His all-time favorite was the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the big band music of the 1940s. In fact, he named his youngest son, Glenn, in honor of the famous band leader. He also enjoyed early rock and roll, jazz, and eventually began to mildly tolerate the classic rock his sons played while growing up (long after they were grown up). He did NOT like disco. However, in his later years he developed a surprising fondness for the song "YMCA" by The Village People. Henry dabbled in playing both trumpet and piano, but his greatest musical legacy may have been the love of music he passed on to his children, all of whom went on to become musicians themselves.

Henry also loved the old radio programs he remembered from his childhood. Some of his favorite family evenings were spent making popcorn and gathering around the turntable speakers to listen to recordings he had collected on vinyl albums, including Our Miss Brooks, Inner Sanctum, and The Shadow.

He was an avid Boston sports fan, with a particular love for baseball and the Boston Red Sox. His favorite player was Ted Williams. A devoted reader of the daily newspaper, Henry always checked the box scores and enjoyed discussing baseball statistics.

Henry was a staunch conservative who was never shy about sharing his opinions, whether or not anyone had asked to hear them. He was deeply interested in politics and current events and took pride in being well-informed on the issues he felt strongly about. He had a sharp mind, strong convictions, and would gladly engage anyone in debate.

Henry was predeceased by his beloved son, Peter A. Perras, who died in 1982 at the age of 22. It’s a profound sorrow that he carried with him for the rest of his life. He is also predeceased by his parents, Antonio Perras and Irene Hall Perras; and his siblings, Theodore Perras and Thelma Parker.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Barbara A. Perras; his sons, John J. Perras, Stephen M. Perras, Jeffrey T. Perras, and Glenn H. Perras; his granddaughter, Cassi Cleaves; and his brother, Arnold Perras, along with extended family and many friends whose lives he touched.

Henry will be laid to rest in a private ceremony next to his son, Peter, in Amherst, NH on August 25. May the final sign-off for K1ZDI lead to eternal peace.