In his honor. The late Luke Perry now has a school in Africa named after him — thanks to his daughter, Sophie Perry.
Sophie, 18, took to Instagram on Monday, April 29, to share the news of her tribute. “Thank you to everybody who donated to help with our projects! Our first school is finished and I can’t tell you how proud and excited I am to see it open on Wednesday,” she captioned a picture that showed her with a handful of people standing in front of the building. “Thank you to my amazing partner Ruben for everything. Especially for fighting to name the school after my dad.”
The Beverly Hills, 90210 star died at age 52 nearly two months ago following a massive stroke. The activist — who flew home from Malawi when she learned of news of her dad’s health — recently returned to the poverty stricken country to continue her mission work of raising funds to develop preschools.
“First few days back in Malawi have been very emotional but it feels right to come back, to finish what I started, to do the most with whatever time we have left,” she wrote upon her return earlier this month. “I recently learned that may not be as much time as we think. It was quick and scary to leave home again so soon, but there’s a job to be done, and someone to make proud. Also excuse my ‘post 30 hours o travel’ face.”
Luke died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, on March 4, days after he suffered a stroke at his Los Angeles-area home. He left behind Sophie, and son, Jack, 21, whom he shared with ex-wife Rachel “Minnie” Sharp.
“[Perry] was surrounded by his children Jack and Sophie, fiancée Wendy Madison Bauer, ex-wife Minnie Sharp, mother Ann Bennett, stepfather Steve Bennett, brother Tom Perry, sister Amy Coder and other close family and friends,” his rep said in a statement to Us Weekly at the time. “The family appreciates the outpouring of support and prayers that have been extended to Luke from around the world, and respectfully request privacy in this time of great mourning. No further details will be released at this time.”
