LEONARD FRANKLIN PERKINS

1946 - 2021

Leonard Franklin Perkins, age 75, passed away at his home in Arlington Heights, Illinois, surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, June 12, 2021. He was born on May 1, 1946, in Wilton, Wisconsin, to Samuel Harrison and Anna Mallon (nee Rice) Perkins. Len graduated from Bloomington High School in 1964 and then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he met his soulmate, Dian R. Fischer, in 1967; they married on June 8, 1968 after graduating from UW, where Len received a BBA in 1968. Although he had been accepted as a law student at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, Len first began his MBA while working for the Bureau of Budget and Management at the State of Wisconsin while waiting to serve in the United States Army (1969-1971). Following his service, he completed his MBA in International Marketing at UW (awarded Meritorious Marketing Award) and got his Juris Doctor from Georgetown in 1974. Len practiced law until his retirement seven years ago; the majority of his time was as legal counsel for A.C. Nielsen. Len was active in the Village of Arlington Heights and belonged to St. James Catholic Church. Len's pride and joy were his children and grandchildren. He coached little league for his sons, was in Indian Princesses with his daughter, and spent hours playing with all of them as a dad and later with his grandchildren as Grandpa Len. Traveling with the family was extremely special for all, snorkeling on the islands, hiking in the state and national parks, and spending their 50-year anniversary with a reunion in a "cabin" in Michigan with the entire family. We have thousands of memories of Dad/Grandpa Len that will continue to live in our hearts for the rest of our lives. We were blessed with him for 27 more years after his quadruple bypass, and we are now looking forward to meeting him in the future in his new home where he is wrapped in God's arms. Len was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Dian; his three children Tammy DeMarco (Dan) of Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, Steve Perkins (Kristin) of Elkhorn, WI, and Michael Perkins (Turchimeg) of Las Vegas, NV; and his seven grandchildren, Dylan DeMarco, John Cameron Perkins, Delaney DeMarco, Gavin Perkins, Juniper Perkins, Ivy Perkins and Leona Perkins. He is also survived by seven siblings, John Perkins (Patricia), Robert Perkins, Mark Perkins (Patricia), Gregory Perkins (Diane), Angela Dorshorst (John), Annette Perkins (Jim McNett), and Giles Perkins (Jolene) plus many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life for Leonard F. Perkins will be held at 12 PM on Thursday, June 17. The Funeral Mass will be at St. James Parish, 820 N. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his memory to the National Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, npcf.us, or the American Heart Association, heart.org.