March 5 1945 August 10 2019 (age 74)
Gary George Perkins left this mortal world to be with the heavenly Father on Saturday, August 10, 2019. Gary was born in Farmington, NM on March 5, 1945, son of George Thomas Perkins and Anna Wood Perkins. The Perkins family lived in Aztec, NM and Gary graduated from Aztec High School in 1963. Gary is known to all who met, worked with, and loved him as a man of hard work, great creativity, many accomplishments, and a generous heart. Gary went to electronics school in Denver, CO and worked for Martin Marietta on the Titan rockets for the Gemini space program. After leaving Denver, Gary started work for El Paso Natural Gas – working his way up from initially loading railroad tank cars in Gallup, NM, to doing Control Systems, to managing teams on the oil platforms in the Gulf, to being so key to Enterprise’s operations that they coaxed him out of retirement to come back and work for them – not once but three times! In addition to his many career accomplishments, Gary was an avid fisherman, gardener, photographer, silversmith, and genealogy researcher. As retirement gave Gary more time away from work, he filled it with time for his friends and family – enjoying a coffee, or a lunch, or a barbeque. He had a great love for his extended family. He was key to bringing his mother Anna’s extended family a large amount of family history, doing extensive genealogy work and contributing to family reunions with booklets he wrote on past family members – both describing what their lives were like and how their lives richly influenced the families of today. Gary married his wife Shari on Aug 15, 1980. Together they combined a family of six kids who all know they are loved and cherished. Gary and Shari moved from NM to different locations in Texas for Gary’s work. When they returned to New Mexico Gary built their ‘Texas hill country’ home where he and Shari enjoyed life. Gary loved many things, his lawn, his music, his beloved dogs, and his Lord. Gary and his wife Shari are active members of the First Baptist Church in Aztec, NM where Gary occasionally taught Sunday School, and they hosted a Life Group on Sunday evenings. Gary was diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer in December 2018. He courageously fought the cancer and told us he had been given the ‘most beautiful Spring ever’ to enjoy. Gary is survived by his wife Shari; his children Stacey, Tiffany, Chad, Ashton, Roxanna, and Brook; 10 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, his sister Celeste, a niece and a nephew. Gary was preceded in death by his infant children Lori Daylene and Christopher Gary. In lieu of flowers Gary requested donations to Grace Place.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gary Perkins March 5 1945 August 10 2019 (age 74).
Death notice for the town of: Farmington, state: New Mexico