Olympian Peery kept wrestling record under wraps

Hugh Peery never had the swagger of a stud wrestler.

He didn't boast or flex his muscles after pinning an opponent.

He wrestled in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki and was a three-time NCAA national champion at the University of Pittsburgh, but he was “very humble about his wrestling record,” said his sister, Ann Ritter of the North Hills.

Dr. Robert “Hugh” Peery of McCandless, who went on to practice dentistry in the North Hills for 50 years, died Saturday, Jan. 10, 2015, of natural causes. He was 83.

A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Sunday in Elfinwild Presbyterian Church, 3200 Mt. Royal Blvd. in Shaler. George A. Thomas Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.

Dr. Peery was part of a legendary wrestling family. His younger brother, Ed, was a three-time national champion at Pitt. They were coached by their father, Rex, a three-time national champion at Oklahoma State University in the 1930s. All three are in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Dr. Peery was the NCAA national champion in the 115-pound weight class from 1952-54. His collegiate record was 56-1. He was a gold medalist at the 1951 Pan American Games in Argentina and finished sixth in the 1952 Olympics.

“He was an artist at wrestling,” his sister said. “He moved very quickly on the mat, but with great skill.”

He finished his undergraduate degree in just two years and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Dental Medicine in 1956.

He spent a day shadowing a dentist when he was 9 or 10 years old.

“He decided right there and then that's what he wanted to be,” said his son, Jeffrey Peery of Franklin Park.

After dental school, he pulled a tour in the Navy, then opened his own dental practice in the North Hills. He practiced dentistry for 50 years and was 75 when he retired.

“He just never wanted to quit,” said his daughter, Cynde Wirth of Wexford.

She said her father rarely spoke of his athletic accomplishments. She found out he wrestled in the Olympics by reading a book about famous Pittsburgh athletes.

Jeffrey Peery said his father attended all of his wrestling matches but stayed in the background. It was Jeffrey's decision to try out for the wrestling team.

“He never showed me a single wrestling move,” Jeffrey Peery said. “He didn't want to push that on his kids.”

In addition to his sister, Ann, daughter, Cynde, and son, Jeffrey, Dr. Peery is survived by seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Roberta; a son, John; and a brother, Ed.

Tony Raap is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7827 or traap@tribweb.com.