Dr. Albert "Perk" Perkins

Services for Dr. Albert "Perk" Perkins of Houston, Texas, will be conducted at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, January 5th at Rosser Funeral Home Chapel (1664 W. Henderson St. in Cleburne, TX 76033). Rev. Connan Coker and Rev. Thomas Coker will officiate. Burial will follow in DFW National Cemetery at 2:30 p.m. (2000 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas, 75211). Honorary pallbearers will be Jeremy Johnson, Anthony Perkins, David Perkins, Mike Perkins, Robert Potts, Shane Smith, John Tschirhart, Key Vaquera and Dick Wileman.

An additional celebration of Perk's life will be held for Houston area friends and family. The service will be conducted Friday, January 12 at 1:30 p.m. in the sanctuary at South Main Baptist Church (4100 Main St., Houston 77003).

On December 7th, 2023, Perk (103) peacefully departed his dearly loved earthly life for his heavenly home. Perk was born in Port Arthur, Texas on January 10, 1920, to Albert and Dorothy Perkins. He spent part of his childhood in Anahuac, Texas. Perk graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur Texas in 1937. He studied at Texas A&M University until his studies were interrupted by the entrance of the United States into World War II. Perk helped pay his own way through college partially by working at a Naval shipyard in Orange, Texas. With the outbreak of war, Perk was required to work full time at the shipyard, building vital warships. In July of 1943, he was able to volunteer for the Army Air Corps where he trained as an aviation cadet. He quickly moved through training and became a B-25 ("Mitchell") bomber instructor. On March 11th, 1945, Perk proudly earned his wings and served as a twin-engine pilot with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Perk was narrowly spared re-assignment to a combat zone by the abrupt ending of the war in 1945. On the same day he earned his wings, Perk married the love of his life, Louise Choate, and they shared their life for 71 happy years. Upon completion of his military service in 1946, the couple moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he studied at the University of Tennessee Dental School. After graduating in 1951, Dr. & Mrs. Perkins moved to Littlefield, Texas, to practice dentistry and to raise their four children. As an active member of First Baptist Church Littlefield, Perk served as R.A. leader, Sunday School teacher, choir member, and deacon. The local newspaper recognized Perk as a valued "Community Builder" for his dedication to the people of Littlefield. Professionally, Perk distinguished himself as a small business owner, Lions Club member, Vice-President of the South Plains Dental Society, member of the Board of Trustees at Wayland Baptist College, Littlefield school board member, and specialist in Pedodontics and Orthodontics.

On his 65th birthday, Perk retired from dentistry to pursue his many passions and talents. Perk's pursuits included world travel, furniture building, chip carving, photography, sailing/ boating, fishing, camping, hiking, snow skiing, scuba diving, home renovations, golfing, landscaping, and flying his family around the country in his small, private aircraft. In 2015, Perk took his third and final skydive at the age of 95. During his lifetime, he dedicated himself to foreign dental and evangelistic missions in Central America, South America, Europe, and even Ukraine. In 1999, the couple moved to Cleburne to be closer to their growing extended family. Perk was active in First Baptist Church, Cleburne, as well as local garden and photography clubs. At the age of 93, Perk was honored as a veteran with the Honor Flight program at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

A couple of years after the passing of his beloved wife, Louise, Perk moved to Houston to live with his eldest daughter and her husband, Brenda & Thomas Coker. Perk was a member of South Main Baptist Church and the Power and Light Sunday School class. He socialized with a group of men called ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) weekly. Perk's family is grateful that Perk spent the last several years of his life surrounded by patient, loving family members.

Perk was preceded in death by his parents, wife, an infant daughter named Dorothy Lynn, and two brothers, Robert & Roy Perkins. Those left to celebrate his life include his four surviving children and spouses: Brenda and Rev. Thomas Coker, Mike and Claudia Perkins, David and Berta Perkins, and Dianne and Dr. Stan Johnson. Eleven grandchildren, and their spouses, and twenty-one great-grandchildren also treasure the memories they shared with their beloved Daddy Perk, as do a number of nephews and nieces.

Albert Perkins was a more interesting and accomplished man than any of us are likely to know again. But even if he had not lived such a life, Perk would have left this world feeling cherished and greatly missed because he was above all else, a loving husband, father, uncle, grandparent and friend. He once ended a letter to his granddaughter: "Family means more to me than any possessions I own." Perk cherished this world and all its people, adventures and wonders. Even at the end of his life, with all the heavy burdens of age, he included a phrase with every daily prayer: "Thank you God for another day to live in your beautiful and wonderful world."

The family is grateful to personnel from the VA (especially Portia Davis and nurse Indiala Cruz) and the Houston Transitional Care facility (especially nurse Brooke) for their watchcare and attention given to Perk in his last days. These caring professionals were blessings both to Perk and to his family.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Music Ministry of South Main Baptist Church Houston or to Manna Worldwide.