Pancho passed away unexpectedly Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010, at his home in Mt. Pleasant at age 52.  He was born April 4, 1958, in Saginaw, the son of the late Benardino and Delores (Venegas) Perez. A 1976 graduate of Saginaw Arthur Hill High School, Pancho served in the U.S. Army from 1976-1979 and later enlisted in the Army Reserve serving from 1979-1982. He was also a member of the Saginaw-Chippewa Tribe.

He married Mary Panko on Feb. 13, 1989, in Saginaw. He was employed by S.C. Johnson Home Storage as a technician from 1986 until he retired in 2004. Pancho loved fishing and playing billiards. But the most important thing in his life was his family. He was especially devoted to his grandchildren and enjoyed attending their sporting events.

Pancho is survived by his wife, Mary Perez; two daughters and their husbands, Maxine and John Curtis of Mt. Pleasant and Marsha Perez and Scott Murphy of Bay City; four grandchildren, Jonathon and Rebecca Curtis and Isabella and Marianne Perez; his mother-in-law, Maxine Coombs of Mt. Pleasant; seven siblings, Andrea Gonzalez of Saginaw, Ben (Linda) Perez, Gloria (Dave) Narvais and Delores (Dan) Hernandez all of Mt. Pleasant, Esparanza (Jesus) Jasquez of Saginaw, Feliz (Beth) Perez of Mt. Pleasant, and Angela Gomez of Saginaw; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; one sister, Orailia "YaYa" Rivas; and one brother, Antonio Perez.