Robert Edward Perkins

Robert Edward Perkins, 84, died January 11, 2024 after a brief illness. He was born in Hartford, Connecticut, son of the late Montez (Rideout) and Alfred Perkins of Brooksville, Maine. He graduated from Deering High School and attended Harvard University on a ROTC scholarship. After graduating with a degree in romance languages, he served his stint in the Navy on the USS Forrestal as a communications officer. He began his teaching career at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, where he taught French, chaired the language department and coached water polo for 25 years, and he continued at Flint Hill Day School in Virginia for another 10 years. Music was a constant in his life. He was organist and church choir director for some 40 years, pianist for decades of family singalongs, and most recently a tutor for Pinellas County music students. He was a proud member of the Harvard Glee Club Alumni Chorus and the Washington Gay Men's Chorus, as well as the Central Florida Theatre Organ Society and the American Guild of Organists. In retirement, he was delighted to be the organist at the historic Tampa Theater, playing oldies and showtunes before movies. In addition to his parents, Robert was predeceased by his wife Jane Dickey Perkins. He is survived by his husband, Rick Blouin, sister Ann Ellis, daughters Ann (Jackie) Kaplan-Perkins and Margaret (Scott) Tufts, grandchildren Alexandra (Matt) St. Peter, Aaron (Micaela) Osborn, Hope (Jakob Grindle) Osborn and David Kaplan-Perkins, great grandsons Benjamin and Spencer St. Peter and Jakob Grindle, Jr, as well as many nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Equality Florida (www.eqfl.org).