Staff photo / Bob Coupland James Valesky of the Warren Heritage Center pays tribute to astronaut Ron Parise at a sign dedication for the Warren native on Sunday at the Neil Armstrong First Flight Lunar Module off Parkman Road in Warren.

WARREN — Astronaut Ron Parise grew up in Warren and played as a boy not far from where the Neil Armstrong First Flight Lunar Module replica sits today off Parkman Road.

Parise’s contributions to space exploration are included at the module site as the Warren Heritage Center unveiled a new photo and biographical sign honoring him Sunday.

Despite the rain, more than 40 people gathered at the site to see the unveiling and hear about Parise’s life.

James Valesky with the Warren Heritage Center said the new sign is on the southern side of the fence around the exhibit.

“Ron is our hometown hero. He was born in Warren on May 24, 1951. This site is important to the Ron Parise legacy. Ron’s family did not live too far from here, and Ron would play at this site when he was a child,” Valesky said.

He said organizers of the lunar module site wanted to include Parise because of what he did as an astronaut by taking two flights in space and his roots in Warren. Parise’s parents were Henry and Catherine.

Valesky said Parise as a teenager developed an interest in astronomy and aviation and graduated in 1969 from Warren Western Reserve High School and then went to Youngstown State University, where he majored in physics.

Parise later earned a master’s degree and doctoral degree.

Parise and his wife, Cecilia, had two children. Parise died in May 2008.

Linda Perich Carpenter, whose father, the late Pete Perich, spearheaded the lunar module site to carry on the legacy of Amstrong — who at one time lived in Champion — said her father wanted to make sure Parise also was included in the exhibit.

The site also has a large state marker with information on Parise.

Carpenter said she visited the National Space and Historical Museum in Washington, D.C., and she had a vision of creating something in Warren to honor Armstrong and Parise. She said she told her father, who had an oil painting made of Armstrong’s first airplane flight in Warren.

“I told my dad we needed to have something at the site. My dad told me to give him two weeks. He was able to get everything together, and the project was soon a go,” Carpenter said.

She said of the many things her father worked on for the city of Warren, he told her he had never worked on any project where everything came together so fast as the lunar module site.

Carpenter said people came forward to help on the project.

“Everything was donated. To God be the glory for this wonderful site,” she said.

Warren resident Joan Brantingham, whose family lived near the Parise family, said she remembers that Ron Parise went into space and took mementoes from the students at Warren schools.

“He gathered four items that he took with him,” she said.

Warren resident Rita Parise, sister of Ron, said her parents would be so proud of the display and tribute to Ron.

“I enjoy seeing what is here in our community,” Parise said.

Ed Novak with the First Flight Lunar Module site said many people describe the exhibit as a “gem on Parkman Road.”

Several city officials also attended the event.

Mayor Doug Franklin said he remembers Pete Perich coming to council to lobby for support for the project.

“As you see today, Pete was successful in getting that support. This is a great day for the city. Every town has its hometown heroes, but not many towns can say they were home to an astronaut. This is more than just a sign to Ron. I hope that when school children come here, they see what a young man from the city’s west side was able to do to contribute to space exploration,” Franklin said.

“This exhibit is so important for our community,” Valesky said.

Valesky said another event this summer will honor the 90th anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s first fight in an airplane at the Parkman Road location and will be at 3 p.m. July 26.