Obituary
Philip Walker Perkins, 93, of The Villages, Florida passed away peacefully on Monday, January 23, 2017 with his daughters by his side at the Brandley House Hospice.
Philip was born in Lynn, Massachusetts, lived in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and Naples, Florida before moving to The Villages. He attended the University of New Hampshire, transferring to and graduating from The New England School of Art and Design in Boston, Massachusetts. He enlisted in the US Navy and graduated top of his class from the Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Florida as a Navy officer combat fighter pilot. He was stationed on the aircraft carriers USS Enterprise and USS Leyte. Following advanced training, he became an instructor of combat fighter flying during WWII and the Korean Conflict. He also served in the US Navy Reserve. With the help of Joe Quinn, Philip was able to participate in one of The Villages ‘Honor Flights’ to Washington, D.C. at the age of 90.
Philip worked as a commercial artist for the Boston Record American, Boston Globe and the Boston Herald newspapers. He was also a self employed fine artist with a gallery in his earlier years in Lynn, Massachusetts and later The Perkins Gallery at Rocky Neck, Gloucester, Massachusetts. He had his own studio at 345 Chestnut Street, Lynnfield, Massachusetts teaching over 200 students a week and later taught at the Von Liebig Art Center in Naples, Florida. He was a founding member of the Marblehead and Lynnfield Art Societies where he also served as president. He lectured and demonstrated throughout New England and Florida. He was an accomplished painting and frame restorer over his career and for the King’s Gallery, The Villages, Florida. In his retirement, he continued to paint and exhibit until age 89. He also served as a security guard in Venetian Bay, Naples, Florida.
Philip was a member of the American Legion Post 347 where he proudly served for many years. He was also a member of the International Society of Marine Painters, the International Magician’s Society and the International Brotherhood of Magicians, Clown Alley # 179, the First Baptist Church at The Villages and numerous other art societies.
Philip is survived by his loving wife, Lynne of 68 years and their two daughters, Deborah and son-in-law Eric Peake of North Wales, United Kingdom and Susan Mara and her fiance Lee Peterson of The Villages; granddaughter Katie Visser and great grandsons Gabriel and Noah of Scottsdale, Arizona; Nephews and wives: Dick and Sandi Perkins of The Villages and Dave and Karen Perkins of Allenstown, New Hampshire and many great and great-great nieces and nephews. He was the son of the late Nelson W. and Grace Foss Perkins and brother of the late Nelson Perkins Jr. and late Col. Donald Perkins.
A Celebration of Philip’s Life was held on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at The Springs of Lady Lake Assisted Living Chapel for their close friends, family and residents. A full military honor guard ceremony led by Tom Murphy of the American Legion Post 347 will be held on February 6, 2017 at 1:00 pm at the Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Philip’s memory to Hospice of Marion County, PO Box 4860, Ocala, FL 34478-4860.
Service
6502 SW 102nd Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513
Grandpa
Gramps
Grumpy.....
Our hero....
It was a privilege to know you as a human being but I feel blessed to have you as a grandfather. You are a kind and loving man that has instilled values in me that will last my lifetime and be passed to my children. Honesty, integrity, hard work; are all things I value in my life every day. I can only hope to have a life as full as yours has been.
I will forever hold close the memories of my childhood sitting on your lap in your chair watching tv while you smoked your pipe filled with apple tobacco, playing on your CB radio (blondie here), ice skating in the winter and swimming in the summer, sledding behind the old house in Lynnfield, the barn cats, running down the stairs Christmas morning, going to church every Sunday, and watching your art classes. I will be forever grateful for your love.
Only because of you, is there a reason I would know, that such a man exists as you opened your arms wide for me as a child when there was no other man willing to step up for me. Thank you for allowing me to know that. Thank you for teaching me life lessons and mostly thank you for giving me your time, something that is priceless. Thank you for believing in me.
I will continue to brag about how MY grandpa played ball with Ted Williams and Johnny Pesky and was in flight school with them. And I will strive to be the best person I can be as I know you will be watching.