Eugene Edmond Perkins, 83, a former Baker City resident, died Feb. 13, 2006, at his home in Boise.
His memorial services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Southminster Presbyterian Church, 6500 W. Overland Road in Boise. The Rev. Edward Dunn will officiate. Private inurnment will be at Morris Hill Cemetery. Funeral Arrangements are under the direction of Alden-Waggoner Funeral Chapel in Boise.
Eugene was born on June 28, 1922, at Baker City to Edmond P. and Nell E. Hansen Perkins. He was a Boise High School graduate and attended Boise State College.
Gene worked in radio and television broadcasting for many years and also did professional painting. He married Bettie J. Marley on June 12, 1946, at Boise.
Eugene was a member of the Southminster Presbyterian Church, International Brotherhood of Magicians, Society of American Magicians, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Boise Men’s Choral Group and Optimists International.
He was always the humor bearer, through bad jokes and storytelling. He began doing magic shows at the age of 11 and continued well into adulthood, until they developed into an avocation. He traveled throughout Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon, doing magic shows as The Great Hougenie. He did his last magic show at church in 2004, and he had everyone laughing
He was an avid deer hunter and fisherman with his family and friends, as long as his legs and those of others could hold out. He dearly loved to tramp in the mountains.
Being the outdoorsman that he was, he and Bettie drove to Alaska in their camper five times, flew there once, and took two cruises. Two of his joys were the 64-pound Chinook salmon and 140-pound halibut he caught in Alaska.
He loved his children and grandchildren. Each year he took his children on interesting travel trips, always to a new destination.
He loved his church and all his friends there. He counted the collection money for many years, and as an elder, led the church finance committee. He also sang in the church choir for many years. He loved to listen to big band music of the ’40s and ’50s and rock music by Roy Orbison.
He was a very unique, generous, and kind person. All loved him and he will be forever in our hearts.
Survivors include his wife, Bettie Perkins; son, Gene B. Perkins and his wife, Marilyn M., and their children, Cody R. Perkins and Trevor B. Perkins, all of Boise; daughter, Jan K. Eggleston and her husband, Melvin L. of Boise, and their children, Lisa T. Eggleston of Nampa, Idaho, and Kevin B. Eggleston of Kuna, Idaho; great-grandchildren, Mina R. Eggleston and Robert Eugene Eggleston, both of Kuna; niece, Cherie J. Hawley of Diamond Bar, Calif., and grandniece, Brienne DeJong of Eureka, Calif.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Lois Givens; his aunt, Garnet Levy; and a cousin, Katherine Tyler.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Eugene Perkins Fund at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Boise.
Used with permission from: Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, February 17, 2006
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor