Mary S. Perry, mother of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, died yesterday (Oct. 10) at the age of 88 in New London, N.H.

The cause of Perry's death has not been reported, but her Boston Herald obituary notes that she was born in Lawrence, Mass., and spent much of her life teaching physical education at public schools after earning a master's degree at Springfield College. Even after her retirement, she remained active in the field, teaching aerobics classes all the way until her 70s.

"In many ways, she was ahead of her time as far as her way of thinking and living," her famous son said. "Whether it be exploring books on quantum physics or women’s rights."

Mary and her husband Anthony made an important contribution to their son's music career, purchasing his first guitar -- a Sears Roebuck Silvertone, according to 'Aerosmith: The Ultimate Illustrated History' -- for the future rock legend when he was 9 years old. The Herald notes that she was always a big fan of Aerosmith, and frequently attended the band's concerts for more than four decades.

Our thoughts and sympathy go out to Perry and his family.

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