December 12, 1961 – Saturday, January 2, 2016

Service Information
Buffalo Covenant Church, Buffalo, MN
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
2:00 PM

Visitation Information
Buffalo Covenant Church, Buffalo, MN
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
1-2 PM

Perry McManus Hicks, age 54, of Buffalo passed away January 2, surrounded by family at his home after fighting a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer, which began in July 2014. Perry developed acute necrotic pancreatitis in December 2014. This required him to spend six weeks in the Mayo hospital, which prevented cancer treatment. Finally, in March 2015, chemo was begun, but without success. He was ready to enter into clinical trials at the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center in December 2015, but just prior to that treatment, he got a blood clot in his lung with pneumonia, preventing further treatment.
Perry was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on December 12, 1961 and came to Pipestone two weeks later to be the first chosen child of Steve and MaryLou Hicks. He attended Pipestone schools and graduated in 1980. He was always energetic and active growing up, participating in Boy Scouts, Boy’s Brigade at the First Baptist Church, playing the trombone, cross country running, basketball, and was an avid swimmer. Perry enjoyed the “Song of Hiawatha” pageant and it was a time of summer fun as he played the parts of Little Hiawatha, Pau-Pak-Keewis, and occasionally Mondamin. Later in life, he enjoyed golf, hunting, target shooting and travelling to many exotic places, but most of all he enjoyed spending time with his wife Aree (also called Alee) and nine-year old son, Sam. He married Aree Laomu in 2009 in Thailand and gained son Sam, then three.
Perry attended Wisconsin Stout for one year, transferring to Minneapolis Drafting School, graduating with a degree in Mechanical Drafting. He worked as a designer at Pinetique Furniture in Minneapolis for several years, then worked for 25 years at Landscape Structures in Delano designing playground equipment. He enjoyed his work, having a natural designing ability. He made many friends there who generously helped him in many ways during his struggle with cancer. He and his family are extremely grateful for their kindness and generosity.
Perry will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by his wife, Aree and son, Sam, his parents Steve and MaryLou Hicks, mother-in-law Hannah (Hawk) Jensen, sister Carolyn (Wally) Lewis, brother Steve Jr. (Valerie), and many cousins, especially those who grew up with him in Pipestone: Nancy (George) Shechtman, Tracy (Mary) Eichhorn-Hicks, George (Mary Dee), Brad, Bill, and Jim (Peg) Hicks.