Walter Reid Perkins Jr.

1936 - 2025

Walter Reid Perkins, Jr. GREENVILLE - Mr. Walter Reid Perkins, Jr., 89, passed away on Friday, June 20, 2025 at ECU Health Service League of Greenville Inpatient Hospice. A memorial service celebrating Walter's life will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 4 PM in the Wilkerson Funeral Chapel. The family will receive friends on Friday, July 11, 2025 from 5 to 7 PM at Wilkerson Funeral Home. A native and lifelong resident of Greenville, Walter was born to the late Walter Reid and Virginia King Perkins on February 14, 1936. He was a graduate of J.H. Rose High School and attended University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and East Carolina University. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army having served in Korea. Walter was the consummate entrepreneur. While working as a Tobacco Buyer early in his working career, Walter was requested by his mother to pick up one of those rope hammocks when he was working along the coast early in 1970. He did just that but also bought one for himself. As an accomplished wood worker, Walter decided to take the hammock apart, see how it worked and then put it back together again. He soon after set out to figure out how to make an even better hammock. This was the beginning of Hatteras Hammocks, Inc. and by 1987, his enterprise had blossomed into the world's top hammock producer. Today, the company operates as a premier, multi-department specialty outdoor living essentials manufacturer. Walter was consumed daily with constant improvement of process and looking for new ideas. He loved his team and was often referred to as "Mr. P". In addition to his parents, Walter was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Bradshaw "Patsy" Perkins in 2015, daughter-in-law, Crystal Hewitt Perkins in 2022 and his brother, Richard "Lawrence" Perkins in 2019. He is survived by: Sons, Walter Reid Perkins, III and wife, Beth of Greenville; Julian Bradshaw Perkins of Morehead City; Grandchildren, Hudson Bradshaw Perkins, Walter "Reid" Perkins, IV and wife, Ally, James Edward Perkins, Marlie Grace Perkins, Grayson Lee Perkins, Elizabeth "Liz" Patricia Perkins and Sarah Margaret Perkins, Loving Partner, Betsy Carnighan, Sister, Virginia Perkins Sharp. Memorial contributions may be made to: ECU Health Cancer Center, 524 Moye Blvd., Greenville, NC 27834. Online condolences at www.wilkersonfuneralhome.com