Cawley - Judith Perry
JUDITH PERRY CAWLEY
Source: Obituary from a collection of Fauniel Hershbarger, a life-long Fountain County Indiana resident
A former Crawfordsville resident and her husband, one of the original members of the Bill Hailey and the Comets, were killed Wednesday in a head-on collision near Atlantic City, N.J. Dead are Reynold "Rey'' and Judith Perry Cawley. Mrs. Cawley, 38, was the daughter of Marietta Perry of New Richmond and the late Albert E. Perry. Officials of the Absecon (N.J.) Police Department report the Cawleys and a 17-year old Bridgeton, N.J., man were killed about 7 p.m. when the cars they were in collided head-on on the White Horse Parkway just north of Atlantic City. Police report the Cawley vehicle, being driven by Mrs. Cawley, drifted across the center line and struck an eastbound car being driven by Donna O'Keef, 19, of Philadelphia. The Cawleys and Patrick Goodwin, a passenger in the O'Keef vehicle, were pronounced dead on arrival at 7:30 p.m. at Mainland Division of Atlantic City Medical Center. The Cawleys and four passengers in the O'Keef vehicle were trapped in their autos when police arrived at the scene. Police report two dazed youths were standing beside the wreckage and that the other six persons, two in the Cawley auto and four in the O'Keef vehicle, had to be extricated with jaws-of-life cutting equipment. Five ambulances from surrounding communities were at the scene to transport the injured. Two of the other persons in the O'Keef vehicle were hospitalized, two were treated at the hospital and released and another was uninjured. The Cawleys made their home at 501 Wood St. at Burlington, N.J. Mr. Cawley had resided there most of his life and Mrs. Cawley had made her home there since 1962. She had served in the U.S. Army. Mr. Cawley, 44, had served in the U.S. Navy. He was a musician and an original member of the rock ‘n’ roll band known as Bill Hailey and the Comets. He was currently playing at the J.T. Lounge at Atlantic City. He was a member of Murray Confederation of Musicians Union Local 336 at Burlington, the Mitchell volunteer fire department, Moose Lodge, Burlington VFW and Victor Emmanuel Society. The Cawleys are survived by five children, Judith M., Perry E., Matthias R., Raymond R., and William W., all at home. Mrs. Cawley, who was born at Crawfordsville April 10, 1942, also is survived by a brother, Herbert Perry of Crawfordsville, and three sisters, Ruth Kelp, Sue Short and Martha Perry, all of New Richmond. Joint services for the couple will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Dennison Funeral Home at 214 W. Front St., Florence, N.J., with the Rev. Virgil Geren officiating. Burial will be in North Crosswicks (N.J.) Cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday. – jlr