Paul P. Perkins

PAUL P. PERKINS
DRYDEN - Paul P. Perkins, age 86, of 15 Evergreen Street, Dryden, NY, passed away peacefully Friday, June 20, 2008, at his residence after a one year illness. Mr. Perkins was born May 25, 1922 in Cortland, NY, the oldest son of Ernest and Josephine DeWitt Perkins. Paul was graduated from Dryden High School in 1940 and served in the US Navy in World War II at various continental stations and aboard the U.S.S. Beckham APA 133 in the South Pacific. The Beckham saw duty at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and was at sea for 10 months. Upon his honorable discharge from the Navy as a Pharmacist's Mate First Class, Paul pursued studies at the Simmons School of Embalming and became associated with his father and mother at Perkins Funeral Home. It was an honor for him to serve the community in the family funeral business until 2007. He operated the Perkins Ambulance Service until 1976. Paul was a member of the national, state and local funeral directors organizations. On April 21, 1946 he was married to the former Joyce McKinney also of Dryden. Mr. Perkins was a seventy-three year member and an Elder of The First Presbyterian Church of Dryden, a member of the Dryden Fire Department, a member and Past Commander and Past County Commander of the Leonard T. Spaulding Post #1134, American Legion, and a member of the Dryden Township Post #8158, Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was one of the founders of the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home Ritual Team. Paul was proud to be a sixty-five year member and a Past Master of Dryden Lodge #472 F.&A.M. and served as Treasurer for more than fifty-five years. He was appointed by the Grand Master of Masons in the State of New York as the Grand Representative to the Grand Lodge of Brazil. He also was a member of the Valley of Ithaca, Scottish Rite Bodies and the concordant lodges in the Valley of Binghamton, as well as the Kalurah Shrine AAONMS. Paul was a member of the Dryden Chapter #250 O.E.S., where he served many times as Patron, as well as being appointed for a term as the District Deputy Grand Lecturer. Paul was one of the founding members of the Dryden Senior Housing Corporation and helped start the Friends of Willowbrook Manor. He was a Director of the Willow Glen Cemetery and served for more than forty years as President of the Cemetery Board of Directors. He also was a member of the Dryden Footlighter's, Dryden Kiwanis Club, and served as the Treasurer of the Dryden Central School District for 25 years. Years ago he was the Village of Dryden Treasurer. An avid bridge player, Paul was also an outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and swimming. He prided himself in being able to dive into Cayuga Lake for every year through age 85 at his cottage on Lansing Station Road. The cottage was his haven away from his work where he welcomed and entertained friends and family. Paul was a generous and loving family man who will be greatly missed by his family as well as the community around him.
Survivors include his loving wife of 62 years, Joyce M. Perkins at home; his sons and daughters-in-law, Mahlon R. and Danielle Perkins, and Bradley P. and Kathleen Perkins, all of Dryden; his grandchildren, Logan, Daniel, Devin, Kate, Jack, Alexander and Anne Perkins. Many nieces, nephews and cousins also survive. His brother, DeWitt R. "Toad" Perkins passed away June 13, 2004.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Monday, June 23, 2008, at The First Presbyterian Church of Dryden. Burial with Military Honors provided by members of the Dryden Veterans Memorial Home Ritual Team will be in Willow Glen Cemetery, Dryden. Friends are invited to call from 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m., Sunday at the Perkins Funeral Home, 55 West Main St., Dryden. Members of Dryden Lodge will conduct masonic services at 8:45 p.m., Sunday at the funeral home. Those wishing to remember Paul are asked to consider a memorial to the Permanent Maintenance Fund of the Willow Glen Cemetery, P.O. Box 299, Dryden, NY 13053-0299, or the Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, 2150 Bleecker St., Utica, NY 13501.