Perry Hall Park Named for Longtime Local Leaders

A new park in Perry Hall will be named for a longtime recreation council president and his community-centered wife.

Councilman David Marks sponsored a resolution to name the 10-acre site west of Honeygo Boulevard and south of Joppa Road "Soukup Park" in their honor, which passed in the Baltimore County Council.

"Jerry Soukup is the longest-serving president of any recreation council in Baltimore County, and I doubt his record will ever be beaten," Marks said in a prepared statement.

Soukup has been a leader on the recreation council since the mid-1950s, when Dwight Eisenhower was President and Perry Hall was an undeveloped farming community, according to Marks.

Jerry Soukup and his wife, Pat, were named Perry Hall Citizens of the Year in 2011 by the Perry Hall Improvement Association for their contributions. He was credited with managing the Perry Hall Recreation Council, from umpiring baseball games to advocating for better lighting; she was honored for her behind-the-scenes work, which included selling hot dogs at games and advocating for construction of a concession stand at Perry Hall Elementary, which has been nicknamed "Pat's Shack" since she has been a fixture there for decades.

The Baltimore Sun reports that groundbreaking for the Soukup site, where a gym is planned, is slated for March.

Related:

• Perry Hall Citizens of the Year: Jerry and Pat Soukup
• Soukup Arena is a Reality?