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Lee Tom Perry, son of the late L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks with Daily Herald editor Scott Tittrington at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City on Sunday, May 31, 2015. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Spenser Heaps

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Lee Tom Perry, son of the late L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks with Daily Herald editor Scott Tittrington at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City on Sunday, May 31, 2015. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Spenser Heaps

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Lee Tom Perry, son of the late L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks with Daily Herald editor Scott Tittrington at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City on Sunday, May 31, 2015. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Spenser Heaps

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Lee Tom Perry, son of the late L. Tom Perry of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, speaks with Daily Herald editor Scott Tittrington at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City on Sunday, May 31, 2015. SPENSER HEAPS, Daily Herald

Spenser Heaps

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SALT LAKE CITY – While his gentle giant of a dad continued to show vim and vigor despite a terminal cancer diagnosis, Lee Perry knew the moment when time was no longer going to be the friend of his father.

A little more than a week ago, L. Tom Perry — a member of the Quorum of the the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — lost his ability to walk. It was a disappointing setback for Perry, who stood 6-foot-4 and, as his son shared Sunday, enjoyed using big, determined strides to get wherever he was going.

“That was sort of an indication that things were accelerating,” Lee Perry said.

L. Tom Perry died Saturday at age 92 following a bout with thyroid cancer that had metastasized to his lungs and other areas of his body. According to Eric Hawkins, LDS Church spokesperson, funeral arrangements are still pending.

On Sunday, Perry’s son sat down with various media outlets for brief one-on-one interviews inside the Relief Society Building at the LDS Church headquarters in Salt Lake City.

During a 15-minute chat with the Daily Herald, Lee Perry — accompanied by his wife Carolyn — shed plenty of tears while sharing memories of his dad, who served as an apostle in the LDS Church for more than 40 years.

“He was just very peaceful, and he could talk and express feelings. It was a very sweet time for us,” said Lee Perry, 64, of the final few hours he, his sister and their stepmother, Barbara Perry, spent at L. Tom Perry’s bedside.

After L. Tom Perry slipped into a “mild coma” Friday evening, everyone took turns saying their final goodbyes and sharing memories with him. Many of the remarks centered on annual family vacations to Bear Lake and birthday celebrations.

However, Lee Perry — who is the dean of the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University and a 30-year Orem resident — went an even more personal route.

“I probably took too many opportunities, but the one lengthy one that was more formal, I thanked him for his name,” said Lee Perry, choking up and explaining that, for him, mementos and memorabilia just didn’t matter compared to that blessing.

“The reason I didn’t care is I think I had the most precious gift, which was his name. The reason his name was so precious to me was because of the honor he brought to it.”

During his time as an apostle, L. Tom Perry came to be recognized throughout the LDS Church as a fun-loving, charismatic figure who was always quick with a smile and a laugh.

His son described him Sunday as a loving grandpa whose flock extended well beyond the Perry lineage.

“We’ve always felt like he’s our husband, father, grandfather, but we shared him with the church. He’s just a man the people connect with,” said Lee Perry. “Elder Holland (fellow apostle Jeffrey R. Holland) essentially says he’s a man without guile, without ego. He’s just there to share and do the work. …

“Therefore he has a marvelous way of connecting with everybody, and I think the saints feel that. It’s just that commitment to Christ that I think brought people to love him.”

Asked if there were one final thought he’d like to share about his dad, Lee Perry touched on the topic of his father’s legacy.

“He would like to, I think, be remembered through the leadership that will go forward and move the church from now on and into the future,” Lee Perry said. “The end of the day, he cared about the church, he cared about the Savior. …

“He probably now can reflect on the fact the church is better because of his 40-plus years of service. I think that’s what he’d care about the most.”