Edward Foote "Ned" Perkins

Edward "Ned" Foote Perkins, of Anna Maria Island, died December 3, 2010 at Blake Memorial Hospital in Bradenton following a brief hospitalization. He was 95 years old. Ned was born in Grand Rapids Michigan on March 23, 1915, and was a 1937 graduate of the University of Michigan where he was a member of Psi Upsilon fraternity. He married Margaret Parmeter in 1938 while living in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1945, he began working for IMC until retiring in Lakeland in 1972. His work with IMC led him all over the world, and the Perkins family made their home in Lausanne, London and Zurich along with various places in the U.S. Ned also traveled extensively for pleasure, visiting every continent other than Antarctica, and go-ing as far north as the Arctic Circle in Finland and as far south as New Zealand's South Island. Ned joined the Rotary Club in Chicago in 1954 and maintained perfect attendance for 50 years. He was a member of the Lakeland South Rotary Club for 36 years before joining the Anna Maria Rotary Club in 2004. Ned loved Rotary for the service performed by the organization and for the lasting friendships forged. He was an active volunteer with the American Red Cross Lakeland Chapter for 10 years and also served as a Board member. He served on the Polk Museum of Art's Board of Trustees and Board of Governors and on the Lakeland Planning Board for community services. For the last two decades, he volunteered at the Anna Maria Historical Society. Ned is survived by his sister, Elizabeth Myers Bain, of Bloomington, Indiana; his daughter, Barbara Sheridan, of Gordonsville, Virginia; grandsons John Potter and Bill Sheridan, of Charlottesville, Virginia; granddaughter, Ann Potter Herchenrider, of Arlington, Virginia; and two great-grandsons. In accordance with Ned's direction, no funeral or memorial service is planned. The family intends to have a celebration of Ned's life in Anna Maria in late Spring 2011. Condolences may be di-rected to Barbara Sheri-dan at 18494 Cameron Road in Gordonsville, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Rotary Foundation at: www.rotary.org or 14280 Collections Center Drive, Chicago, IL 60693. Arrangements by Heath Funeral Home, Lakeland, Florida.