David Wayne Perry of Silverhill, AL, was born July 2, 1950, in Ft Worth, Texas, to Vernon Lee and Patricia (Knarr) Perry, and left this earth on April 24, 2026.
He will be fervently and greatly missed by his wife of 28 years, Kimberly Nash Perry; his sister, Nancy Thomas of Lexington, TX; his brother, Andrew Perry (Julie) of North Richland Hills, TX., his sons, Nathan Perry (Clarisa) of Thousand Oaks, CA, and Matthew Perry (Yvonne) of Boulder, CO, his daughters, K.C. Perry of Los Angeles, CA and Natalie Smith (Sidney) of Bay Minette, AL; eight grandchildren, Will Cooper, Bree Kendrick, Kylie Kendrick, Tiago Caravia-Perry, Lee Smith, ZadieGrace Rudy, Alexander Hong and Dylan Perry; three great-grandchildren, Harper Johnson, Teagan Cooper and Gianna Sage Cooper; and an extended family of several dozen.
Wayne is preceded in death by his son, Nicholas Griffin of San Diego, CA and his grandson, Tristan Perry.
Wayne was a kindhearted, generous and funny man. He was a great dad, always supportive, encouraging and empowering. He was an incredibly loving and devoted husband. Not enough can be said about his generosity, patience, intelligence, resourcefulness, creativity, and wit. . .especially, his funny, goofy wit! We will all miss that!!
Over his 45 years in the Compressed Air industry, Wayne worked in the capacity of Marketing Manager with Quincy Compressors and as Senior Technical Director with KAESER Compressors. Wayne made significant contributions in the field of compressed air energy efficiency.
Through his active involvement with the U.S. Department of Energy; serving on the DOE Best Practices Advisory Committee, playing a significant role in the development of the DOE Motor Challenge Program and extensive expert reviews and publications, Wayne helped to elevate compressed air industry energy efficiency in the U.S. Wayne was a key figure in the development of Compressed Air Challenge and its training program. Wayne was a mainstay with the Compressed Air and Gas Institute (CAGI), attending his first meeting in 1996, and his last meeting in 2022. Through the years Wayne was a member of various committees, serving as the Chair of the distinguished Rotary Positive Compressor Section from 2007-2011, and serving as the Chair of the System Assessment Section from 2015-2022. Wayne was an integral part of CAGI’s push to create the Certified Compressed Air System Specialist program and their newly released Certified Compressed Air System Assessor program. It’s been said Wayne would listen to everything going on and move ahead with whatever he thought would work best. He was so well respected and revered within the organization and throughout compressed air industry.
Through his work with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Wayne has had a global impact on energy efficiency of compressed air systems and subsequently the environment, by helping to write the industrial energy efficiency standards in over a dozen developing countries. Wayne also served as Chair on several committees with the Compressed Air & Gas Institute. The contributions made by Wayne to the Compressed Air Industry are countless and the ripple effect continues.
Wayne will be sorely missed by his family, friends and professional associates.
A celebration of life will be held for Wayne and his son, Nick Griffin, at Hughes Funeral Home, 26209 Pollard Road, Daphne, AL, on Friday, May 15, 2026, from 4PM-6PM. Please join us as we spend time together celebrating the lives of these two amazing men.
Van Nicholas “Nick” Griffin of Satsuma, Alabama, Bay Minette, Alabama, Fredericksburg, Virginia, San Diego, California and Silverhill , Alabama, “molted” (as he liked to put it; saying that we don’t die, we just leave one shell for a bigger, better shell; like a crab, he would say) on November 27, 2020, in his home in Silverhill, Alabama.
Nick was born April 27, 1983, to Kimberly Nash Griffin and Frank E. Griffin. Later, on December 28, 1989, he became the beloved son of Wayne Perry.
Nick is survived by, his parents, Mr. & Mrs. David Wayne Perry and Kimberly Nash Griffin Perry of Silverhill, AL, sister, Natalie A. Smith (Sidney) of Bay Minette, AL and K.C. Perry of Los Angeles, CA; brothers, Nathan Perry (Clarisa) of Thousand Oaks, CA and Matthew Perry (Yvonne) of Boulder, CO; and an extended family of dozens.
He is preceded in death by his father, Frank Griffin of Bay Minette, AL.
Nick was intelligent, interesting, kindhearted, witty and had a passion for music and the environment. He had taught himself to play the guitar, keyboard, saxophone and Native American flute. At the time he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, he was teaching himself to play the violin. But, first and foremost, Nick was a passionate and phenomenal guitarist and composer.
At the time Nick was diagnosed and had the subsequent first of 5 surgeries, he was in the process of transferring to University of California San Diego, majoring in music and physics. While there, not aware that at the time, he himself had a brain tumor, he had done a research paper on the efficacy of chemo & radiation on brain tumors, specifically his type, Astrocytoma. As a result of that research, his choice was to forgo chemo & radiation. He chose to have resections as needed to keep the rest of his brain tissue pristine and to remain as overall healthy as possible. This worked remarkably well, as his prognosis was 2-3 years, but he lived an additional 11 years.
As stated, Nick was passionate about the environment! He started his own campaign of “Two Easy Pieces” and shared it with others. The idea being that if everyone picked up just two pieces of rubbish whenever they went out, then that would go a long way toward cleaning up their corner of the world. So, folks, 2 Easy Pieces, please!
Nick had an unshakable faith in God and wanted to live as God would have him. Shortly after diagnosis with the brain tumor, he remarked that it was certainly not what he wanted, but he prayed that through it, God would help him to be a better man.
Nick had a mischievous sense of humor that surfaced after his first brain surgery. He and his dad were kindred spirits in this. Nick was forever pulling pranks or making witty remarks intended to disconcert; like telling his dad who was groaning from aches and pains, that he (Nick) should observe him more often so that he wouldn’t feel bad about dying young! Now, how does one respond to that?! He was indeed full of “treacherous wit”!!
Nick loved the outdoors. He loved surfing, biking, hiking, and free diving . . . everything outside. He hiked the Appalachian Trail, and he was also certified to teach and coach snow skiing and snowboarding in both the U.S. and Canada.
Nick unknowingly had a brain tumor for most his life. He thought that everyone felt like he did, so he never complained. But eventually, as a young man, he went through 27 medical professionals and 17 wrong diagnoses before discovering that he had a brain tumor. Everything he accomplished, he did with an enormous tumor in his head.
He was one of a kind! He is greatly missed!
This has been far too long a time coming. But, when Nick molted during Covid, gatherings were restricted. By the time those restrictions were lifted, it had been quite some time and there was no heart to dig up old sadness. Now, as Nick’s dad, David “Wayne” Perry, has passed away as well, there will be a combined memorial for Nick and his dad, on Friday, May 15, 4:00pm, at Hughes Funeral Home, 26209 Pollard Road in Daphne, AL.
We do remember him as a person whom will share his knowledge any time needed regardless of a distributor, as is our case or a direct Kaeser employee.
On behalf of Solinden, may he rest in peace.
I served with Wayne at CAGI (Compressed Air and Gas Institute), an industry trade association. What a privilege and a pleasure to work with such an industry icon who had shape-shifting impact on making compressed air systems more efficient. He could be stubborn and cantankerous, but deep down, his core personality was always kind and a lot of fun. Whether working through debates on system assessments or having a beer together and laughing until I cried, Wayne was always a joy to be with. I considered him a great colleague and friend, and he will be missed.
It is an honor to recognize Wayne Perry for the knowledge, professionalism, and generosity he brought to the craft of compressed air systems. Wayne wasn’t just an expert in the technical sense—he had the rare ability to take complex ideas like system efficiency, pressure management, air quality, and reliability, and translate them into practical decisions that improved performance and saved time, energy, and frustration. He carried deep experience, but never used it to intimidate; he used it to teach.
His influence will continue in the way I approach problems, support others, and pursue continuous improvement.
This giant of compressed air and his impact on the industry and our company will always be remembered! He was a friend and will remain close to my heart.
We lost a good one, a virtuoso. It was an honor and privilege to work with him. Condolences to his family at this difficult time.
Wayne was unforgettable! Warm, funny, approachable, a thought leader in his field, and a true friend – he made you feel like you could do no wrong. He will be missed.
I remember Wayne not only for his technical mastery but also for his kind words and patience when confronted with challenging situations. May he rest in peace and join his loved ones in heaven
I worked with Wayne many years at Quincy . He was a great supervisor and kept me laughing. I was so honored to coordinate his and Kim’s wedding all those years ago. Their love was so strong! I’m so sorry for you loss Kim! And yes Wayne I know I will always be older than you and Norm! Love and prayers from Ken and me.
Wayne Perry made a big contribution to Quincy Compressor during his years. Working there. I personally benefited from his willingness to share.market and product knowledge. Trudy and I fondly remember our conversations at CAGI.
Wayne was a great compressor guy, but more importantly a great father and family man. I feel blessed to have known him
I worked with Wayne at the tail end of his career and his insights and wisdom were invaluable. I enjoyed hearing about his South African experiences whenever we were together and the good humor shared. My condolences to his family.
Wayne convinced me to relocate to Fredericksburg VA to function as Air Treatment Product Manager for which I have been ever grateful and will continue to be so.
Rest in peace Wayne, you taught so many so much.
It was a pleasure working under Wayne, his relaxed manner made everyone comfortable. I particularly enjoyed our conversations about detailed, technical issues which inevitably evolved into discussion about totally unrelated topics ending with a humorous anecdote. He ensured we parted with a smile. I often observed him tactfully (signaled by clearing his throat) and patiently explaining the facts to whomever he was addressing, no matter how ill-informed they were. He would have made a great college tutor, his sense of humor and philosophical approach to life would have attracted a strong, curious, rebellious following.
Suzanne and send our sincere condolences to Kimberly and his family. Rest in peace Wayne.
Yes, Wayne had a wonderful sense of humor. In the earlier days of my tenure Wayne was an excellent coach. While I had the specific product knowledge Wayne through his vast industry experience saw the big picture. He would often say to me “Now this is what we need to do – and when I say “we” I mean “you” ……..” It always made me laugh!
I had the privilege of knowing and working alongside Wayne for more than 20 years as members of CAGI (the Compressed Air and Gas Institute). Throughout that time, we served together as industry stewards on numerous projects and committees, always with a shared commitment to advancing our field.
As the long‑standing Chair of the Rotary Positive Compressor Section, I came to deeply admire Wayne’s vast knowledge and, just as importantly, his genuine willingness to share it. His contributions were always made with the betterment of the Institute and the industry as a whole in mind—an admirable quality that set him apart.
Wayne and I worked closely together in the Rotary Positive Section during the entire course of the DOE energy efficiency regulatory efforts, from initial conception through final implementation. His insight, leadership, and influence on that body of work were monumental. To say that Wayne was a giant whose contributions significantly improved our industry would be an understatement.
Rest in peace, my friend. It was truly an honor to have known you.
Wayne was a joy to work with. He had so much knowledge of compressed air systems and controls and was always willing to share that knowledge. While he was at Kaeser we worked together at different Cement plants. Somehow he got me into Mobile Alabama days after a hurricane which was an adventure. We also had to carpool to another site in Alabama in his Miata when my van broke down. We had a lot of good conversations on those trips talking about compressed air or our families.
The privilege of working with Wayne on the United Nations compressed air system energy efficiency training is full of fond memories personally and professionally. Global travel has its challenges and Wayne would focus on the glass half full and how lucky we were having the opportunity to share knowledge. Even in the most challenging times his quick wit and wry outlook would find the humor in the situation putting everyone at ease. Thanks Wayne… until we meet again.
I met Wayne a number of times as part of the work we did for US DOE and UNIDO. We always met at places to which we had travelled long distances, for various assignments. During these trips, when we all were far away from home, often at strange places, a special kind of friendship developed. We were always glad to meet our colleagues again even if it could be a long time since the last time we met. I remember all the good times we spent together, often at strange places, around the world and am very sorry for all those left behind. He was really “a great guy”.
I met Wayne through meeting Kim and Nick. Wayne was open hearted and welcomed everyone. He helped everyone around him and worked to make everyone’s lives better. I enjoyed fishing, shooting, and going to museums with him. He liked to learn about all types of things. Especially if they used an air compressor! But he also truly loved his Miata, uh Miatas, and then a BMW roadster. Unfortunately, each car met its demise in an accident, no fault of Wayne’s, where people somehow felt like driving into it. If I remember right, he bought one in Washington and drove it all the way home to Alabama, well almost home, because someone t-boned it before getting home. I rode with him in his BMW roadster which was full of problems and he wished he had his Miata again. The seat track where you adjust the seat forward and back was broken, so when Wayne would accelerate or brake his seat would slide forward and back. It was funny, not funny for Wayne, but funny watching him. Anyway, I finally got my own miata last year. I told Wayne, who now had a Fiat (which is secretly a Miata underneath). Well “had”, he said someone drove into it, and he said that’s the last one, I’m tired of getting hit. I miss Wayne, but I always think of him when driving the Miata. There is an empty passenger seat his spirit can ride in.
more than just my father, wayne became a close and cherished friend as we both aged! when i was going through dark times in my personal life, while he may have been worried and disappointed, he NEVER turned his back on me. and, that kind of love and support was instrumental in helping me pick myself up. after all, if the smartest man i’ve known thought that i was worth it, i surely could come to that realization 😉
we had planned on talking once he woke up from surgery (we talked often)…that last conversation never happened, and i miss him everyday!
thank you all for your kind words about an amazing man!
❤️