Neill Macaulay Perrin, age 96, formerly of Mt. Vista Ave., Greenville, SC, died May 24, 2022. He was most recently a resident of Rolling Green Village, 4 Hoke Smith Blvd., Greenville, SC.
Born August 13, 1925, in Cartersville, GA, he was a son of the late James Cothran and Eunice Augusta Macaulay Perrin of Greenville.
A 1942 graduate of Greenville Senior High, Neill (“Bub”) attended The Citadel in 1942-43, and was a 1948 graduate of Clemson Agricultural College, with a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (B.C.E.). He began his career as a structural engineer with Southern Railway Company in Charlotte, NC. Moving back to Greenville after several years, he was a Professional Engineer for many years with J.E. Sirrine Company and retired as a Project Manager with CRS Sirrine, Inc. Mr. Perrin was Past President of the Piedmont Chapter of the S.C. Society of Professional Engineers and Past Treasurer of the S.C. Society of Professional Engineers.
Mr. Perrin served his country during World War II as a Technical Sergeant in the U.S. Army’s 94th Infantry Division, 302nd Regiment, Company C, in the European Theater of Operations. The 94th Infantry Division was the last division to land on the beaches at Normandy, landing on D-Day + 94 at Utah Beach. As a platoon sergeant, he “had charge of a 36-man light weapons platoon. Instructed them in the use, care, and handling of the weapons.” Mr. Perrin was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and the European-African-Middle Eastern (EAME) Campaign Medal with 4 bronze service stars for the campaigns of Northern France, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), Rhineland, and Central Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with “V” for Valor as a Private First Class “for heroic achievement in connection with military operations against an enemy of the United States in Germany on 13 March 1945. When his company was pinned down by intense machine gun fire, Private Perrin dashed across 100 yards of exposed terrain to a flanking position. Disregarding his own personal safety, he delivered devastating rifle fire on the enemy installations, pinned the Germans down and permitted the attack to continue. Private Perrin’s personal bravery and loyal devotion to duty reflect high credit upon himself and the military service.” Major Perrin was a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Ft. Leavenworth, KS. He retired from military service as a Lieutenant Colonel, Corps of Engineers – U.S. Army Reserves in 1985.
Mr. Perrin was a Founder and Past President of the St. Andrew’s Society of Upper South Carolina, Past Commander of the 16th Regiment of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Past Board Chairman of Miracle Hill and the Greenville Rescue Mission, a former winemaker and Past President of the Greenville Wine Society, Past President of the Greenville Chapter of the S.C. Genealogical Society, Past President of the Midsouth Chapter of the 94th Infantry Division Association, and a former member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Greenville County Historical Society, the S.C. Historical Society, the Greenville Scottish Country Dance Club, the Greenville Club of Toastmasters International, and the Pickens Country Club.
Mr. Perrin was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, where he served as an Elder and Deacon. He was a great-grandson of Thomas Chiles Perrin of Abbeville, the First Signer of the South Carolina Ordinance of Secession in 1860.
Mr. Perrin was predeceased by his wife of nearly 64 years, Lena Wall Glover Perrin, his elder brother, James Cothran Perrin, Jr., and his younger sister, Mary Eunice Perrin Coxe (William Burton Coxe, Jr.). Surviving are three daughters, Carol Carré Perrin Cobb of Greenville, Susan Hayne Perrin Watson (James Stephen Watson) of Greenville, and Ann Glover Perrin Hendrix (Mark Baird Hendrix) of Arden, NC; five grandchildren, Susan Hayne Cobb Furse (William Chitwood Furse, Jr.) of Manning, SC, Anna Carré Watson Hunter (Robert Clarke Hunter, Jr.) of Richmond, VA, Mary Neill Watson Irvine (Colin Brac Irvine) of Charlotte, NC, Baird Macaulay Hendrix (Annita Ying-Ying Kuo) of San Francisco, CA, and Mae Glover Hendrix of Arden, NC; and five great-grandchildren, Perrin Elizabeth Hunter, Olivia Crawford Hunter, Robert Clarke Hunter, III, Isabelle Macaulay Irvine, and Astrid Meixing Kuo-Hendrix.
The family thanks his beloved companion, Margaret Marie Cook Williams, for her love and devotion in his last decade, and the staff of Rolling Green Village and Providence Care for the loving care they gave to Mr. Perrin.
Graveside service will be held on Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. at Christ Church Episcopal cemetery, Greenville, with the Rev. Harry Stanley Johnson of First Presbyterian Church, Greenville, and the Rev. Scott Fleischer of Christ Church Episcopal officiating.
The family will receive friends on Tuesday afternoon following the service, at the home of Steve and Susan Watson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Miracle Hill Ministries, Inc., 490 S. Pleasantburg Dr., Greenville, SC 29607; First Presbyterian Church, 200 W. Washington St., Greenville, SC 29601; or Veteran’s Last Patrol, 140B Venture Blvd., Spartanburg, SC 29306.