Over his 83 years, Perrett played many roles—football player, pharmacist, property investor, and above all, a generous soul. While he lived modestly and kept a small circle of friends, he left behind a legacy that’s now touching lives across his community.
A life-changing phone call
One of those lives belongs to Jane Sayner, a 74-year-old woman in Melbourne who rented a two-bedroom unit from Perrett for more than two decades. She never expected what came next.
One day, Perrett phoned her out of the blue.
Jane Sayner knew John for decades, but he still managed to surprise her in the end. YouTube | A Current Affair
"I got a phone call from him one day, and he said, 'I want you to talk to my solicitor; he is here at the moment, and can you give him your full name because I'm leaving you the unit,'" Sayner told A Current Affair.
After 23 years in the home, Sayner was no longer a renter. She was the owner—thanks to Perrett’s surprising and generous gesture.
"Thanks, John."
— Jane Sayner
The kidney that changed everything
Perrett had no close family, and according to 7 News, he rarely spent money on himself. A friend once described his possessions as minimal: an old television with a green-tinted screen that buzzed while they watched cricket together. Despite his wealth, Perrett didn’t live for luxury—he lived for meaning.
That purpose found its greatest expression in his later years, when he donated $19.6 million to the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s nephrology department—the same hospital where he received a kidney transplant more than 30 years earlier. That kidney, incredibly, was still functioning when he died at 86 in 2020.
Professor Nigel Toussiant, from the Royal Melbourne Hospital, called the bequest “just amazing.”
“That kidney transplant lasted 30-plus years and it was still functioning when he passed away in his mid-80s,” Toussiant said in an interview with 9Now. “That was a life-saving gift, I guess, to take him off dialysis and he was obviously grateful for the care that he received, for all the doctors and nursing and medical staff.”
"Still functioning when he passed away."
— Professor Nigel Toussiant
Perrett's donation remains the largest ever to the Royal Melbourne Hospital's nephrology department. The hospital plans to honor him with commemorative plaques and memorials.
A quiet life, a powerful legacy
Before his philanthropy made headlines, Perrett had lived a life full of quiet devotion. According to My Tributes, he spent most of his career as a pharmacist on Main Road West. He loved tennis, football, and riding through the paddocks as a child. He never married, and his friendships were few but deeply cherished.
He also spent years tending to his father’s small farm and caring for him during his final days. That steady compassion carried through his entire life.
"Did this really happen?"
— Jane Sayner
After his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Perrett moved into a nursing home. But even then, he continued making plans that would shape others’ lives long after his own ended.
Now, a woman who loved tending her garden in a rented unit gets to call that garden hers forever. A hospital that gave Perrett three extra decades of life now has the resources to save countless more. And a community, once quietly touched by his presence, will never forget the man who gave so much without expecting anything in return.
How you can carry the torch
Want to help continue John Perrett’s legacy? Consider donating to your local nephrology or organ transplant center, or register to become an organ donor. One act of kindness can change everything.
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