NEW YORK — On the morning of 9/11, Police Officer John William Perry was standing in the NYPD's retirement office, about to turn in his papers, when he learned that a hijacked jet had slammed into the World Trade Center.
Without a second thought, he ditched his paperwork and ran to the towers, where he died in the collapse.
On Saturday, a quarter century later, the city thanked Perry for his service and his sacrifice by renaming the corner of East 101st Street and Madison Avenue "John William Perry Way" in his honor.
"I am in awe," Perry's sister Janice Perry Montoya told the Daily News during the street renaming ceremony. "I was so emotional over this."
Perry, 38, was leaving the department after eight years to become an attorney on 9/11, relatives said. The goal was to open a law firm, Perry & Perry, with his younger brother Joel.
But he was so much more than a cop and an attorney, his family said.
Perry, who grew up with a learning disability, grew up to speak several languages including Swedish, Russian and Portuguese, relatives said. The child of an interracial couple was also an actor and played small roles in shows like "NYPD Blue," "One Life to Live," and "The Devil's Advocate."
In his spare time, he volunteered as an investigator for the Kings County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and was a board member of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
"We were raised in the suburbs," Patricia said, wishing that their parents, who are both now deceased, were able to witness the street renaming.
"This signifies that he is part of New York City and a city that he loved. It means so much that he is part of the city and exemplifies the city."