George Sheldon Perham Jr., a beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully at the age of 95. He was a dreamer, artist, cowboy, and hard-working family man.
Born in San Mateo, California, on June 1, 1929, George was the son of George Sheldon Perham Sr. and Frances Marie (Bell) Perham. He was a proud descendant of pioneering families who arrived in California during the Gold Rush, settling on the Peninsula, San Francisco, and in Point Reyes. George’s roots were deeply embedded in the land. His grandfather was the first president of the Daily Delivery Company, which was formed days after the great earthquake of 1906 to consolidate the major dairies near San Francisco. His father, George Perham Sr., continued the family business and was the president of Borden’s Dairy Delivery in San Francisco.
In 1937, his father purchased a ranch in Los Altos, which is now Rancho San Antonio Regional Park. George spent much of his youth on the ranch, exploring the hills on his horse, Rusty, and building or repairing many of the barns and homes that still stand today. He and his brother Art ran a small herd of cattle and carried on the local tradition of ranching with a festive “round-up” each spring.
George attended San Mateo High School and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1951, where he was a member of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserves from 1950 through 1958. On June 4, 1955, he married the love of his life, Ann Cameron Paine, a fellow Berkeley graduate. Together, they had four children over the next five years.
As a young man, George developed a deep love for adventure and the outdoors, which he shared with his close friends during many backpacking trips across the Sierra Nevada. He instilled a passion for adventure and nature in his children, taking them hiking, fly fishing, and horseback riding. Summers at Pinecrest Lake, where George and his family would spend treasured time together, became a family tradition. His children, carrying on his love for the outdoors, continue to spend time there each summer.
In his professional life, George and his brother Art started Perham Construction Company, paving many local roads on the Peninsula. He later focused on home remodeling and after the 1989 earthquake, repaired damaged chimneys. He went on to manage both residential and commercial projects with Dickman Construction.
George was also a gifted artist and craftsman. His walls were filled with sketches and drawings from his travels. He was a master of creating with his hands, building much of his own furniture, and welding stunning wrought-iron chandeliers and pieces of art. His creativity extended to building intricate model locomotives, biplanes, gliders, and seaplanes. Every year he packed his bright yellow Piper Cub into a large box and drove it to Pinecrest Lake with hopes of it taking flight over the lake.
George had a musical ear and loved to harmonize with friends and family, bringing music and joy to gatherings. He also loved to dance, still dancing with Ann a few weeks before his passing.
George’s commitment to his community was evident through his many years of service with the Rotary Club of Los Altos, where he served as president in 1997-98 and as director of the annual Fine Art in the Park event in 1992. One of his proudest accomplishments as president was the creation of the Young at Art contest, which continues to inspire and encourage young artists today. In 1995, he received the Guy Shoup Award as the Outstanding Rotarian of the Year.
George was also an active member of the PTA at Montclaire School, where he served as president. On fun festival days, he would take children on hayrides with the large ranch tractor. He was a wonderful parent, teaching his daughters to have the same skills as his son. He instilled self-confidence in his children and grandchildren along with an optimist’s outlook that anything is possible.
George spent years dreaming of finding a new “ranch” on which to live. In 2000, at the ages of 71 and 67, respectively, George and Ann moved to Paso Robles, where they began a new career as grape farmers. They lived in a small trailer while building their dream house, calling their home and property “Voladores Vineyard.” They worked hard as farmers to learn all aspects of viticulture and were honored in 2014 as Justin Vineyard’s Viticulturists of the Year.
They turned their beautiful home, with a gorgeous view of the rolling hills, into Ann and George’s Bed & Breakfast, and over 15 years, they hosted over a thousand guests from around the world, many of whom became lifelong friends.
It’s time for George and Ann to close out their ongoing 69-year game of dominos. Rumor has it, they ended in a tie.
George is survived by his wife of 69 years, Ann Paine Perham, and four children, Sally Chaves (Mario), Heidi Mooney (Mark), Sheldon Perham (Donna), Janet Dolliver (Tom), thirteen grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents and his siblings, Patricia Perham, Jane Shoemaker, and Arthur Perham.
Happy Trails Dad…
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to The Rotary Club of Los Altos Endowment Fund or to The Paso Robles Youth Arts Center. A celebration of life, organized by his children, will be held in 2025.
