Please allow me to add one more voice to those who have spoken of the
many contributions of Ron Perry to the automatic music field, and Ron's
tragic and untimely passing.

Ron Perry and I became acquainted while working as engineers at the
Naval Electronics Lab in San Diego.  When we found ourselves assigned
to the same project in the late 1980s, we learned that we shared common
interests in automatic music.  We soon became good friends both on and
off the job.

Ron was a whiz in modern digital technology and familiarized me with
music synthesizers, MIDI and related topics.  In turn, I introduced him
to old-school pneumatic instruments.  This healthy interaction expanded
musical horizons for both of us.  Ron soon became actively involved
with vintage instruments and, with a twist of humor, used to tell me,
"You know, you're the guy who got me into all this!"

Ron was always ready to lend a helping hand.  After acquiring the
business interests of the late Laurent Coray, Ron continued to support
Laurent's products, even those with limited market potential, such as
the PD-1 punch driver board of the type that drives our Precision Music
Rolls perforator.

At one point, when a failed switching transistor threatened to shut down
our roll making operations, I called Ron and asked him how I might get
a replacement.  He replied, "I'm not sure the item you need is still
available, but I'll look around and see if there is something that will
work in there."  A  short time later, I received an envelope in the mail
with the needed replacement along with a prolific number of spares.
This is just one of countless examples of Ron going the extra mile.
This exemplifies the way he was, both in and out of the workplace.

Few people in this field knew of Ron's talent as a first-rate graphic
artist.  When I took over editorial responsibilities of our dance club
newsletter, Ron asked me if I would like a masthead for the opening
page.  In short order, he came up with a beautiful, Art Noveau inspired
design that headed every monthly issue of that newsletter for the next
fifteen years.

Ron Perry carved out a unique place for himself in the automatic music
field, and in spite of the misery he found himself in, was active right
up to the end of a life that was cut woefully short.

Dave Saul - Precision Music Rolls