Kenneth Raymond Perkin, 86, of Springfield, Mo., passed into the presence of the Lord on August 3, 2017, nearly a year following the death of his beloved wife, Vi.

Ken was born May 17, 1931 in Springfield to Noel and Ora Perkin. He was the fourth of five children.

They were a close family, since Noel was from England and had no family in the U.S., and Ora was an orphan. One trip on which the family was able to go with their father to England was in 1936, where they traveled on the return trip of the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary. They were in England at the time of the abdication of King Edward, and the coronation of King George. The older two children were able to attend the royal parade, while the three younger ones, including Ken, had to watch from the window.

He graduated from Springfield High School in 1949, then enlisted in the Navy, where he was stationed in Pensacola, Fl. and Hawaii from 1950 – 1954.

After his tour of duty, he worked for Caterpillar, Inc. in Peoria, IL, and then returned to Springfield. His mother told him he needed to check out a new family of Teuber girls. He obediently did so, and quickly fell under Violet’s spell. They were married on May 4, 1955.

That same year, Ken began a career with Sears, Roebuck & Company, beginning by selling lawn mowers, and becoming one of the top store managers in the country before retiring after 35 years of service. He also served his community, including his role as Chairman of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce in Fayetteville, Ark. in the mid-70s.

After many moves in their career, Ken and Vi retired to their much-loved home at the Lake of the Ozarks. Between vacations and retirement, they enjoyed lake life for more than 40 years, making lifelong friends and opening their home to many people over the years.

Ken and Vi had two sons, Larry, of Bella Vista, Ark.; and Mark (Noël), of Springfield, Mo., and three grandchildren, Geoffrey Perkin, Anna Leach (Patrick), and Andrew Perkin.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife; a brother and sister-in-law, Robert Murray & Marion Perkin; and a sister and brother-in-law, Frances & Eugene Bell. He is survived by his sons and their families; a sister and brother-in-law, Marjorie & Troy Compton; and a brother and sister-in-law, Roger & Faith Perkin; as well as a host of loving nieces and nephews.

Ken is also survived by friends and people along the way who came to him for advice about business and finances. He served as a mentor to many, considering it a privilege to help others.

Visitation will be held at Greenlawn Funeral Home North, 3506 North National, from 4 – 6 p.m. on Sunday, August 6. Interment will be at Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, with a public memorial service held at 10 a.m. on Monday, August 7, at the chapel at Greenlawn North.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CASA of Northwest Arkansas.

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