Perry Loftesness

Perry passed away on March 22, 2023 at Dougherty Hospice House in Sioux Falls.

“We Used To Know” was a song written back in Perry’s teen years by Ian Anderson, the front man for, at the time a not so well known band, Jethro Tull.  It was one of Perrys’ favorites back then and he played it often sitting on our front porch at home.  Listening to Anderson’s original recording and remembering Perry’s take on the song, Perry’s version was most certainly better.  Perhaps there was something in the song that he saw in himself at the time.

Folks often mention that they wished they had seen Perry’s  art to which I would invariably respond “You did.  Not once, but perhaps hundreds of times.”  His work appeared on many billboards in the region.  Some of it really quite brilliant.  But, like the Super Bowl commercial, his advertising art was “here today and gone tomorrow”. Two of his murals remain at Roosevelt and Washington High School.

Volumes have been written about Leonardo Da Vinci’s art but it is interesting to note that in his entire body of work, Da Vinci actually completed only 14 pieces.  Art historians lament this fact and believe it was because Da Vinci was never completely satisfied with his work.  Perhaps Perry viewed his own work this way.  Closing up housekeeping, only two small pen and ink pieces could be found that Perry deemed worthy of saving.  They were wild life studies and really quite haunting in their realism.

Whenever we hear of the passing of a friend or relative we find ourselves remembering what “we used to know”, and can’t help but ponder “what might have been”.  

May God grant Perry peace.

He is survived by his son, Wyatt Loftesness; four sisters, Virginia Weber, Cindy (Gary Anderson), Renee Lutz, Carol (Harley) Rote;
four brothers, Ray, Tim (Roxanne), William and Scott Loftesness. Perry is preceded in death by his parents Ray and Mary Loftesness and a brother Todd and brothers in law Thom Weber and Tim Lutz.

The family requests memorials be directed to the Dougherty House Hospice Center in Sioux Falls.