METHUEN – The Methuen Mayor’s Office announced that Mayor Neil Perry passed away Saturday after battling serious health issues.
Methuen Mayor Neil Perry
In a statement, the office praised the president for addressing his recent health issues.
“Mayor Perry has battled many health challenges over the past few years, but has emerged from each of those battles with renewed vigor to take on, in his own words, the greatest job he has ever had: being mayor of the great city of Methuen,” his office said in a statement.
In a March 2023 Facebook video, Perry announced that he would return to working from home after being admitted to a rehabilitation hospital due to an “experience that happened to me during a routine dialysis appointment.”
His office said his last and “perhaps greatest” accomplishment as mayor was the city’s purchase of the historic Searles Estate. Perry was a Methuen native and became mayor for the first time in January 2020.
Councilman David P. Beauregard, Jr. will serve as acting mayor until a special election can be held within the next 60 days.
More information will be available in the coming days, according to his office.
Massachusetts officials send condolences
Officials in Massachusetts responded on social media, remembering Neil Perry.
Governor Maura Healey expressed her condolences to X: “Mayor Perry was a wonderful and caring person and a great leader. He believed in his community and gave so much to it. He will be greatly missed.”
US Senator Ed Markey said on X: “I mourn the loss of Mayor Perry. He loved Methuen deeply and was a steadfast advocate for the city and its families. I am grateful for his service and partnership. My thoughts are with his family and the people of Methuen.”
Rep. Lori Trahan issued a statement that said, in part, “Everyone in the Commonwealth knew that no matter the situation, Neil never backed down from a fight when it was in the best interest of the hard-working families of Methuen. We will sorely miss his leadership, determination and resilience, and my condolences go out to his family and friends as they mourn this tremendous loss.”
