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GREENSBORO — Timm Perry will wear his dad’s top hat today.

It’s to honor his dad, the man known for a quarter century in the Triad as The Old Rebel, a grandfatherly character who became the local version of Santa Claus.

But it’s also to honor the people who have helped Timm and his mom, Martha Perry, through a rough year.

Timm and Martha, 84, have health problems. They went bankrupt. He lost his car. And they ended up taking the local bus everywhere, even to the K&W Cafeteria, his mom’s favorite place to eat.

At K&W, between bites of chicken pan pie, he heard a question from the couple seated beside him.

“Aren’t you The Old Rebel’s son?’’ they asked.

To many in and around Greensboro, that’s a big deal. Timm’s dad, George, starred in “The Old Rebel Show.’’ It ran for 24 years on WFMY (Channel 2), from 1952 to 1976, and entertained a generation of youngsters with skits, slapstick humor and cartoons.

George died in 1980. He was 58. And ever since, Timm has tried to keep his dad’s memory alive.

But on this particular day at K&W, Timm just wanted to get something to eat with his mom when the question came.

Then, look what happened. The couple from Westover Church started helping them out. So did at least a dozen other people.

They helped the Perrys with food, clothes, money, home repairs, lawn care and rides to the grocery store, K&W and Timm’s substitute teaching job.

Some of the people helped them because they knew Timm. The couple from Westover Church, well, they knew Timm only through The Old Rebel.

So today, at the Greensboro Children’s Museum, Timm will recreate his dad’s show twice. He’ll wear his dad’s red bow tie, red vest, blue pants and blue cowboy boots.

And the white top hat, too.

All to remember his dad. And this year’s other helpful souls.

“They really saved us,’’ said Timm, George and Martha Perry’s only child. “On a rainy day or something, when you don’t have a car, you’re stuck with walking in the driving rain to the bus stop. So, it means a lot. These folks have lifted my heart.”
 

Contact Jeri Rowe at 373-7374 or jeri.rowe@news-record.com