This is the second of a series
of 12 profiles that chronicle Alexandria's Living
Legends, people who are today's history makers. Living
Legends of Alexandria is a joint project of the Rotary
Club of Alexandria and the Alexandria Gazette Packet.
Conceived and directed by Nina Tisara, it is designed as
an ongoing project to identify and honor those
individuals whose vision and dedication make a tangible
difference to the quality of life in Alexandria.
For more information or to nominate a Legend for
next year's program, visit http://www.tisaraphoto.com/legends/.
It
can be a long journey – geographically and spiritually –
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Alexandria, Virginia.
Reverend George Pera has made that journey and arrived
in Alexandria to become one of its Living
Legends.
Today this 78-year old "retiree" is as
active as many of the seniors he serves. Born and raised
in Pittsburgh, Pera’s journey included graduations from
the University of Pittsburgh, Princeton Theological
Seminary and New York University (where he was a
Chaplain). Other stops included serving as chaplain at
Ohio State, and as pastor in Greenwich, Connecticut and
The American Church in London, England.
While in
London, Pera preached the first American Thanksgiving
Day Service ever held in Westminster Abbey. CBS-TV was
all set to air part of this historic service but Pera
lost his worldwide audience when the broadcast was
preempted by coverage of the Rhodesian Prime Minister’s
resignation, a fact Pera explained to the former Prime
Minister when they met years later. It was also in
England that George Pera studied two rather unique
topics which continue to serve him well. He worked with
a voice coach from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts
and studied with Dame Cecily Saunders, founder of the
world-wide hospice movement.
From London, his
journey finally brought Pera, wife Nancy, son David, and
daughter Tracey to Alexandria where for 15 years he was
pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church.
Sandy
Calhoun, Westminster’s Director of Seniors’ Ministries
(retired), describes one impact Pera had on Westminster.
"Ahead of the trend, George Pera had the foresight
twenty-five years ago to create a staff position to
advocate for and assist senior adults, a position the
church session has continued to fund after George’s
retirement. George Pera inspired his congregation to
worship, to care, to be informed, to travel, and to
embrace life. His unique blend of faith, erudition,
humor, enthusiasm and compassion benefited not only the
members of Westminster but also the greater Alexandria
community. He continues his involvement in community
organizations benefiting seniors."
Today, he is
Westminster Presbyterian Church’s Pastor-Emeritus.
Raised by a Presbyterian father who was in the furniture
business and a Roman Catholic mother, Pera grew up
believing that religion meant service.
"The God
I worship calls people to make human life more human in
whatever profession one chooses. I felt that the church,
as I observed it growing up, gave a person a unique
opportunity to do that. I believe the church is in the
world to serve the world. I felt that to know the world
I had to get out in it. That sense was what propelled me
into becoming as involved as I have been," Pera
said.
"This interest in the world about me has
served me well in my preaching. The theologian Reinhold
Niebuhr said when a pastor writes a sermon, he should
hold the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the
other."
Rabbi Jack Moline of Agudas Achim
Congregation, who nominated Pera for this recognition,
tells of the time Pera was a guest at his Passover table
and mentioned that he goes with some regularity to the
Holocaust Museum to "remind myself what I’m capable
of."
Pera believes in doing what you can with
what you have and hopes that his involvement in the
world about him will inspire others to join him. Given
all the activities in which Pera is involved, there is
plenty of scope for involving others. He is a
past-president of Senior Services of Alexandria, a
co-founder and past chair of Agenda:Alexandria (a
non-partisan forum for the exploration of local issues)
and was a member of the Steering Committee of the Call
to Community (which deals creatively with Alexandria’s
diversity). He was on Alexandria’s 250th Anniversary
Committee and was president of the board of Elder
Crafters of Alexandria. He is chair of the Inova
Alexandria Hospital Pastoral Care Fund which helps to
support pastoral care for hospital patients and staff 24
hours a day, seven days a week. The hospital has a
full-time pastor (who is also a registered nurse)
supplemented by volunteers.
Pera and his wife
Nancy will celebrate their 48th wedding anniversary on
New Year’s Eve. They share a love of travel and he has
traveled in over 50 countries. He used to conduct tours
but has given that up since September 11. "It just
became too complicated to escort a group of people
through security but we continue to travel on our own,"
explained Pera.
Long before Pera became a senior
himself, he recognized the value of tapping into what
seniors have to contribute to the Alexandria community.
"I think the life experiences they have had are a
valuable source of knowledge." The symbiotic
relationship of seniors and the community is reflected
in Senior Services of Alexandria which "provides
accessible, comprehensive and affordable services within
the City of Alexandria and adjacent areas and promotes
the independence and self-sufficiency that enable
seniors to age with dignity in their own community." In
2003, Pera was the recipient of the Alexandria
Commission on Aging’s Annie B. Rose Lifetime Achievement
Award.
What currently occupies this busy Legend?
"I serve on the Development Council of A.L.I.V.E.,
Alexandrians Involved Ecumenically. I’m coming to the
end of a very long six-year period as chair of the
National Capital Presbytery’s Stewardship Committee.
That has meant explaining the Presbytery’s budget to 110
area churches. I’m also a trustee of the Inova
Alexandria Hospital Foundation. I’m working on
fund-raising for Inova. It’s expensive to keep equipment
up to date but we want the best for
Alexandrians."
Pera has never lost his marvelous
sense of humor. His "retired" business card includes
"bon vivant."
How does George Pera do it? "I
think when you want to get people involved, you can’t
just stand there and point to what needs doing. You have
to take the paint brush, climb the ladder and start
painting. That’s how you get others involved. You lead
by doing."
This colorful Living Legend is
"climbing the ladder to paint" for a lot of projects for
Alexandria!