Perry Inhofe was the son of U.S. Senator James 'Jim' Inhofe, a prominent Republican from Oklahoma, and one of four children. He pursued a career in medicine, working as an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand surgery at Central States Orthopedics in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was also deeply involved in aviation, following in his father's footsteps as a pilot; Jim Inhofe taught him to fly in the family's 1954 Grumman Tiger, and this passion was passed on to Perry's own son, Cole, who made his first landing at age 16 in 2013. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Perry was involved in family business litigation stemming from companies owned by his father and uncle, which ended in 1990 with Perry paying $3 million to his uncle as part of the settlement. His life was tragically cut short on November 12, 2013, when he died in a plane crash in Owasso, Oklahoma, at the age of 54, prompting an ongoing investigation. He was remembered as a dedicated pilot and medical professional.