Gary Perkinson

Gary J. Perkinson BETHESDA, MD - Gary J. Perkinson, 80, of Bethesda, MD, died August 28, 2014, at the Gilchrist Hospice Care Center in Baltimore after a long illness. A native of Troy, Gary graduated from Catholic Central High School in 1951. After serving as an M.P. in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he enrolled at Siena College, receiving a B.A. in English in 1959. He later received a master’s degree in public administration from the Rockefeller Institute of Public Affairs at the State University of New York at Albany. After graduating from Siena, he worked as a reporter for the Associated Press and the Troy Times-Record. He was then hired as the director of public relations at the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) in Albany, and later served as the head of public relations at the New York State Teachers Retirement System and as the executive director of the New York State Council of Retail Merchants. In 1978, he accepted a job as the vice president of government relations for Beneficial Management Corporation in New York, then moved to Washington, D.C., in 1981 to take over Beneficial’s federal government relations office. In 1986, he left Beneficial to form Perkinson and Associates, a public affairs lobbying firm that was retained by Beneficial to handle the company’s congressional and federal affairs. He then returned to the company in 1993 as the senior vice president of government relations. He also served as a director of the National Savings Bank in Albany, as well as the president of the Alliance for America’s Homeowners, a nonprofit, Washington-based homeowner’s group created to help represent homeowners’ interests on the federal level. An avid golfer, Gary also enjoyed reading, running, traveling and all sports (especially the New York Giants and Siena College basketball), but he mostly enjoyed spending time with friends and family at his homes in Bethesda and Bethany Beach, Delaware. He is survived by his loving wife, Carol M. Perkinson of Bethesda; his children, Gary F. Perkinson (Nancy) of the Bronx, NY, Karen P. McGee (Emmett), Sheila M. Perkinson, and Amy P. Dembeck (Mark), all of Baltimore; four grandchildren, Conor and Samantha McGee and Gavin and Alec Dembeck; a brother, John T. (“Jack”) Perkinson (Fran) of Wynantskill; and three stepdaughters and eight stepgrandchildren. He is predeceased by his wife of 41 years, Marcella C. Perkinson. A visitation will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 pm on Tuesday, September 2, 2014, at St. Gabriel’s Chapel, Our Lady of Mercy Church, 9200 Kentsdale Dr., Potomac, Md. A memorial mass will be held on Wednesday, September 3, 2014, at 11:00 am in the main church at Our Lady of Mercy. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to either Gilchrist Hospice Care, 11311 McCormick Rd., Suite 350, Hunt Valley, Md. 21031 (443-849-8214/www.gilchristhospice.org) or The Friends Club of Bethesda (a therapeutic social program for men with Alzheimer’s Disease), Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church, 6601 Bradley Blvd., Bethesda, Md. 20817 (301-469-0070/www.friendsclubbethesda.org).