Perry Hall Recreation Council Cofounder Dies

PERRY HALL, MD — A pillar of Perry Hall has passed away.

Jerry Soukup helped found the Perry Hall Recreation Council in 1955, and he and his late wife, Pat, raised money from concession stand sales and events for a gym to house the organization's sports leagues, according to a statement from Baltimore County.

Councilman David Marks announced Jerry Soukup died, in a statement Monday.

"I am so sorry to pass along the news of the passing of Gerald Soukup, a towering figure in Perry Hall's history," Marks said. "Jerry Soukup helped found the Perry Hall Recreation Council in 1955 and guided this group for 65 years. Soukup Arena was named in honor of him and his late wife Pat."

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• Perry Hall Park Named for Longtime Local Leaders
• Soukup Park Breaks Ground in Perry Hall
• Perry Hall Citizen of the Year Draws Laughs, Nostalgia

Jerry Soukup and his wife, Pat, were named Perry Hall Citizens of the Year in 2011 by the Perry Hall Improvement Association for their contributions. He was credited with managing the Perry Hall Recreation Council, from umpiring baseball games to advocating for better lighting; she was honored for her behind-the-scenes work, which included selling hot dogs at games and advocating for construction of a concession stand at Perry Hall Elementary, which has been nicknamed "Pat's Shack" since she was a fixture there for decades.

"Jerry Soukup is the longest-serving president of any recreation council in Baltimore County, and I doubt his record will ever be beaten," Councilman David Marks said in 2014, announcing plans to name the park in their honor.

Soukup Park opened in 2015 on Joppa Road, east of Honeygo Boulevard, on 30 acres. It includes a 12,000-square-foot arena with a 9,000-square-foot gymnasium and 3,000 additional square feet.