José Pérez del Rio, also known as Don José or Mr. Pep was born on October 24, 1909 in the Gràcia neighborhood of Barcelona. Part of his childhood was spent in Cadaqués, at the home of his aunt, the village teacher, and his naval machinist uncle (surely this marked his vocation for the sea and conditioned his futur professional).

At the age of 15, he began his studies at the Official Nautical School in Barcelona and in 1928 he obtained the Machinery Student Certificate. In 1933 he obtained the title of Second Naval Machinist and in 1934 that of First Naval Machinist, a title that was later transformed into Chief Naval Machinist. After sailing for seven years on different ships such as the "Poeta Arolas", "Canalejas", "Legazpi", "Teide", "Ciudad de Palma", "Villa de Madrid", "Ciudad de Valencia", he dedicated himself in teaching, being a teacher at the Official Nautical School of Barcelona for more than forty years.

In 1936 he married Carmen Palau, becoming a widower in 1967.

In 1941, after resuming his mathematics studies at the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Barcelona, ​​he was appointed full professor in the subject "Machines and workshop". A year later, he worked as the school's secretary, a position he held until 1958, when he resigned to devote himself, among other things, to writing his great work General treatise on marine machinery (1959)

In 1957 he joined the Institute of Marine Engineers. In October 1964 he took possession of the Chair of Internal Combustion Engines. He became the National Education Advisor of the Ministry of Education and Science. He received numerous decorations such as the Cruz de la Orden del Mérito Naval de Primera Clase with white badge (July 1970).

In 1979 he retired and in 1982 he defended his doctoral thesis In defense of the steam engine with which he became the first marine doctor in Marine Sciences in Spain.

A lover of music and poetry, he knew how to play the violin very well and in 1972 he published the book of poetry Vaniloquy.

After devoting his life to the dignity of the naval engineer profession, he died on October 13, 1994 at his home in St. Pere de Vilamajor, in Vallès Oriental, where he had spent his last years receiving visits from friends and former students. Posthumously, the City Council awarded him the Key of Vilamajor (2004).