Russell Emerson Perkins' Obituary
Russell Emerson Perkins passed away on Friday Dec 29th after a brief illness at Cypress Care Center in Wildwood Florida.
Russ was born in Portland, ME on August 13, 1942 to James A Perkins and Doris Brooks Perkins. He was born deaf but his family was unaware that he could not hear until he was school age. They lived in the Portland and Saco Maine area. Russ attended Governor Baxter School for the Deaf in Portland.
He spent his summers in Rye Beach, NH working at the Farragut Hotel.
He then attended and graduated from the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, CT in 1963. He was very athletic, playing football, basketball and baseball for the school. He worked and lived in the Hartford area in the printing industry from 1964 – 1972.
He then attended Gallaudet University and graduated and was a proud alumni of his 1977 class with a degree in Physical Education. He was employed by Gallaudet University for over 30 years at the Gallaudet Research Institute where he handled the massive Standard Achievement Tests and interacted with the schools across the country that used those tests. He lived in Landover, MD and Bowie MD and moved to the Villages in 2015.
He also operated a floor installation business for 11 years with friend Robert McDevitt now of the Villages. He also collected Coca-Cola memorabilia.
He was a diehard Boston Red Sox fan and New York Giants Fan and had been known to watch a Patriots game or two. He loved sports and coached fast pitch women’s softball for Gallaudet for 24 years from 1985 -2009 with Sarah Dolec. He assisted in coaching with Camy Lange and Robert “Bob” Jackson. He coached for AAAD and NSAD for many years He received many awards and honors for his coaching. He was inducted into the Softball Coaching Hall of Fame for NASD. He also worked for the Gallaudet Athletic Department at the concession stand for football, volleyball and basketball games. He loved what he did. He strongly believed that women can excel in sports.
Since moving to Florida, Russ attended First Baptist Church of Oxford, FL where he came to know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.
He is survived by two sisters, Donna Wilson of FT Myers, FL and Karlotta Shanahan of Rye, NH, a brother Charles Osgood of South Portland, ME, several nieces and nephews, Joe Check of FT Myers, FL, Kassie Check Van Brunt of FT Myers, FL, Sarah Shanahan of Epping, NH, Jim Shanahan of Edgewater, FL, Terry Higgenbothen, of Mechanicsville, VA, Tammy Greene of Hudson, FL, Tina Driscoll of Hudson, FL, Haley Osgood of South Portland, ME as well as several great nieces and nephews and cousins. He was predeceased by his brother James Henry Perkins and sister, Diane Grace Goodwin Knight and nephew Robert Knight. Russ was twice married with no children and is survived by both former wives, Lynn Stirling and Debbie Richards.
There will be a Memorial Service on Friday February 2, 2018 at 10:00 am at the First Baptist Church of Oxford 4060 CR-108, Oxford, FL 34484
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