Dying John Perrett leaves long-term tenants their homes, $17.5m to Royal Melbourne Hospital

A generous St Albans man has given his tenants the ultimate gift, plus a massive donation to the hospital that saved his life 30 years ago.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital will receive about $17.5m thanks to an incredibly generous western suburbs who passed away in September.

A dying western suburbs landlord has left investment properties to his tenants and an incredible $17.5m to the hospital that gave him a kidney 30 years ago.

John Perrett left the largest bequeathment in the Royal Melbourne Hospital’s history to its renal unit, with his generous act of gratitude set to change countless lives.

The former St Albans pharmacist’s act of kindness also extended to two long-term tenants, who were gifted the title deed to their homes as part of his final wishes.

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Jane Sayner said after 23 years her “brilliant landlord” had become her friend, the pair bonding over the cricket and her repeated attempts to convince him to upgrade his old TV that had a “green picture and a hum”.

John Perrett has been remembered as a “brilliant landlord” and an “extremely generous gentleman”.

During one of her regular visits with Mr Perrett after he moved into assisted care and as his health was declining, he informed her she could stop paying the rent when he was gone.

“It was pretty overwhelming, I told him that he had no idea that he’d just changed my life completely,” Ms Sayner said.

“To me, he is just the best person around.”

Another of Mr Perrett’s long-time tenants, who also cleaned his home for him, was left the deed to her St Albans house.

Mr Perrett lived frugally at the 76 Alfrieda Street, St Albans, home his parents built for decades, despite his fortune.

Executor and lawyer David Whiting said the late pharmacist had been the only child of two only children with no direct family to leave his more than $18m fortune to.

After losing his mother in the 1960s Mr Perrett had remained in the family home with his father Eric, a respected local justice of the peace, and taken care of him for many years.

The St Albans community’s respect for the pair was such that when Eric began to suffer from dementia and would occasionally wander during the day, the local police would collect him and keep him at the station until Mr Perrett could pick him up on his way home.

On December 12 the Perrett family’s 76 Alfrieda Street, St Albans home since 1959 was sold for $1.7m, about $300,000 more than its reserve, topping up the sum being donated to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

The unrenovated home is still in exceptionally good shape.

“It was an extraordinary act of kindness by a very, very nice man,” said Ray White’s Shaun Marijanovic.

Royal Melbourne Hospital director of nephrology Associate Professor Nigel Toussaint said they were “very grateful” to the “extraordinarily generous gentleman” they had given a new kidney to 31 years ago and his gift would help others get the same chance he was given.

“Back then, not as many kidney transplants lasted as long,” Assoc Prof Toussaint said.

“Today the average lifespan (for a kidney transplant) is 10-12 years.”

More than 100 kidney transplants are conducted at the Royal Melbourne Hospital each year. Picture: Alex Coppel.

He said the hospital performed up to 140 transplants a year, as well as providing dialysis to about 500 patients.

The Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation typically provides about $12m a year to the hospital, with bequests typically helping to provide new equipment, new patient services and research.

“Any amount of money donated to us we are very grateful for and put to good use, but this large amount will be amazing,” Assoc Prof Toussaint said.

Mr Perrett passed away from health issues linked to Parkinson’s disease in September. His kidney was still going strong.

His only personal request was that his ashes be scattered at the grave of his parents in Fawkner Cemetary.

Strong bidding ensured Mr Perrett’s long-time home added a substantial amount to his donation to the hospital.

Donations can be made to the Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation here.

Originally published as Dying John Perrett leaves long-term tenants their homes, $17.5m to Royal Melbourne Hospital