When William Perryman arrived at Inner Voice’s Robert Johnson House, Director Andrew Gaddy quickly realized there was something distinctive about him.

Educated, curious, and full of personality, William had built a career that included work in communications, customer service and sales. He loved music, particularly blues and jazz, enjoyed cooking, and seemed always to have another interest or idea to pursue. Andrew remembers him simply as a “renaissance man.”

During his time at Robert Johnson House, William found ways to make the space his own and to share a little of himself with the people around him. He planted a garden at the house. He talked about developing a podcast exploring homelessness and the experiences of people who had lived it. And, on one particularly memorable occasion, he made quiche for the entire house. For some of the residents, it was their first time trying quiche.

Those are the moments that remain.

William came to Inner Voice after experiencing homelessness. But at Robert Johnson House, that experience was only one part of the person everyone came to know.

In May 2026, William was tragically killed in a hit-and-run on Western Avenue in Chicago.

When his sons came to Robert Johnson House following his death, they had the opportunity to learn more about the community their father had been part of and to know that during this chapter of his life, he was surrounded by people who knew him and cared about him.

The things William’s family remembered about him are many of the same things his Robert Johnson House community remembers. He loved planting flowers. He loved cooking for others. And music remained an important part of his life.

There is no simple way to sum up a person’s life. Each of us is more than our hardest chapter, our greatest accomplishment, or the circumstances that bring us to a particular place.

So perhaps the best way to remember William is in the details: the garden he planted, the blues and jazz he loved, the podcast he was working to launch, and the quiche he made for a house full of people who weren’t expecting it.

And the people at Robert Johnson House who still smile when they remember him.

William Perryman was here. He was known. And he mattered.

Rest in peace, Renaissance Man. Rest in peace.