Herbert Perry, 97, of Moosic, a pioneer in the plastics industry of Northeastern Pennsylvania, died Friday at Geisinger Community Medical Center. His loving wife of 74 years, the former Romayne A. Diskin, died Jan. 9. Born Aug. 7, 1918, in Dunmore, son of the late Raymond and Alice Murphy Perry, he was raised in the Nay Aug section of Dunmore and was a 1936 graduate of Dunmore High School. Later in life, Herb attended night classes at the Scranton Extension of Penn State. After high school, Herb worked for five years with DL&W Railroad, in the shops, along side his father. Later, he worked for Pratt and Whitney in Connecticut as a tool and die maker and then at Steinway Piano Company in Astoria, N.Y., making air gliders during the early part of World War II. Herb enlisted in the Army in December of 1944, trained for six months in Alabama, and was then sent overseas with the 222nd Infantry Regiment, part of the much decorated Rainbow Division, where he was engaged in combat for 106 days in Rhineland and Central Europe. Once discharged, Herb returned to Scranton and was employed by Consolidated Molded Products again as a tool and die maker, now in the plastics business. Later, with five others, Herb started the first locally owned plastics plant in Northeastern Pennsylvania. In 1954, he ventured out on his own, and formed United Laminations Inc., in a rented building in Mayfield, later buying the building, and substantially expanding the business at the site, where it continues to this day, and employs 17 workers. In 1975, he set up a joint venture on an adjoining site for another plastics plant and created Westlake United Co., selling his interests in 2011. Herb and Romayne were longtime members of Divine Mercy Parish in Scranton. An avid hunter and fisherman, until recent years, he regularly fished in the Arctic Circle and in Florida. Herb was known as a quiet man who continued to work 7 days a week, until he fell asleep at his desk on Friday, which is the way he would have wanted it. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He was also preceded in death by five brothers, Theodore, Lawrence, Robert, Earl and Walter Perry. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Divine Mercy Parish, 312 Davis St., Scranton. Interment will follow at the Cathedral Cemetery, Scranton. A private viewing will be held at the Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home, 517 North Main St., Old Forge.

Published in Scranton Times on Sept. 29, 2015.