Professional Career

Perry Ferran St. Raymond began his career in 1983 in the tax section of the Big Eight accounting firm, Ernst and Whinney, and attained the level of Tax Manager. During his five years at Ernst and Whinney, he engaged in complex tax compliance and planning for major private and publicly-held corporations. He then worked for several law firms, expanding his practice over time to include a wide spectrum of business, corporate and transactional matters. He had particular expertise representing clients in tax collection and audit disputes before the IRS and the State of Louisiana. He was experienced in business law, real estate transactions and finance, corporate law and all aspects of federal and state taxation. ....

Mr. St. Raymond was recognized by the Louisiana State Bar Association as a Board Certified Tax Attorney in 1992. He has served as an editor for the Louisiana Civil Practice Forums publication and was “AV” rated in the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Directory, which is the highest rating afforded to attorneys and reflects a reputation among legal peers of excellence and ethics in the practice of law. He was a noted tax lawyer with the law firm of Everitt, Pratt, Latham and Donovan in New Orleans, where he was employed until his death in 2005.

Education

Perry St. Raymond's Education:

• He received a Diploma from J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, Virginia in 1975
• He attended Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, graduating with a B.S. degree in Marketing Management in 1979.
• Following his graduation, he entered Loyola University Law School and earned a J.D. degree in May of 1982.
• He then obtained an L.L.M. degree in taxation from the College of William and Mary.
• He was licensed to practice law in both Louisiana and the District of Columbia
• He was admitted to practice in the United States District Court for the Eastern, Middle and Western Districts of Louisiana, United States Tax Court, and United States Supreme Court.

How we met

I met Perry on a Southwest Airlines flight from New Orleans to Orlando on Friday, April 2, 2004. I first spotted him while waiting to board the plane. He had run into a guy that he knew and they were telling hilarious stories about a friend of theirs. He had on a Hawaiian shirt and khakis and was on his way to an annual guy's fishing trip to the Bahamas.

I was one of the first to board the plane, so I grabbed one of the first seats which was in a row facing the next row and quite comfortable. Soon after I sat down, a woman and her daughter passed who were looking for seats together. I decided to give up my seat and move to a new one, hoping that this gorgeous man I'd seen while waiting to board would sit next to me.

After getting situated in a new seat, I was flipping through an on-flight magazine when I could feel someone's presence by my row. I looked up and to my amazement, there he was. He smiled as he looked down and asked me if anyone was sitting in the aisle seat next to me. I said no and he asked if he could join me and of course I said yes.

We spent the next two hours becoming acquainted. He told me that he was a tax attorney from New Orleans and that he was on his way to meet some friends in the Bahamas, which they did every year for his birthday, which was in the coming week. He told me that he had some regrets and one was that he had never married and was now 49 years old. He loved children and had always wanted to be a father, but had never met the right person.

He continued to entertain and enchant me for the entire flight and I was electrified in his presence. I was flying to Orlando to meet a doctor that I had gone out with once before, but after meeting Perry, he was all I could think about. I called my sister from a restaurant bathroom (where I could have some privacy) to excitedly tell her about the man I'd met on the flight and expressed to her that I hoped we would get to meet again.

Six months later, we had our first date and it was one of the most magical moments of my life. More about that later, but I am thankful that fate stepped in and brought me onto that flight on that day going to that destination and that we got to sit next to each other. It's one of those wonderful things that you wish for, but never expect to happen. This is for you, Perry.

In Loving Memory of Perry St. Raymond

This blog is created in memory of Perry St. Raymond, a wonderful person who touched my life and who I will never forget. He passed away on June 14, 2005. I never got to meet any of his family or friends, so I have created this blog in hopes that some of his friends and family will visit and post some memories about him.

Perry loved people and was loved by all who came into contact with him, so I know that there are alot of people out there whose lives he also touched. Please know that you are welcome here and that hopefully this blog will help to keep his memory alive and enable us to share memories and stories about this wonderful man.