Perry Thornley Jr. Credit: Courtesy Perry Edward Thornley Jr., age 61, died on January 8, 2026. He was born on November 1, 1964, in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine, the son of Katherine Pricilla Snyder and Perry Edward Thornley Sr. His earlier years were not known to providers and community members who got to know him before his passing. Before his death, Perry spoke of the peace he found in the Virgin Mary statue in the Episcopal church across the street from Battery Park, and it was there that he spent his final hours. He lived in the consciousness of Burlington, best known by those that he called his “street family” and the many helping hands that wandered the city. Some referred to him as a rascal, then a fondness would grow and flourish into a caring relationship. This is who Perry was: a tough exterior; a soft soul. If you got to know Perry, he would talk about loving his kids, Joey and Eliza Mae-Marie Thornley. He might have brought out the Bible he kept tucked away in his jacket, close to his heart and his deep faith in God. Perry had a magnetic way about him. It sometimes landed him on the evening news, where he commented on various subjects for WCAX. He always had a benevolent grin and a look in his eye that made you think that he was likely up to something, but you also felt that, deep down, he was a really good person. He liked to get loud like a “rock ‘n’ roll” song. On the hardest days Perry was a shouting outsider, holding all the things that the city couldn’t hold for him. There were cold nights, hot days, heartaches and pains. He seemed to disappear sometimes and return with a healthy glow, though. To some, he was the likable stranger who was affixed to places around town: the corner of Main Street and South Winooski Avenue, or just up the road on the corner of Pearl Street, where he would spend hours flying a sign and chatting with folks passing by. He was part of the fabric of our community and could always be counted on for a quick smile and a hearty hello. May he be in a better place. The post Obituary: Perry Edward Thornley Jr., 1964-2026 appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less