First Sergeant Franklin D Perkins, U.S. Army Retired, 86, of Farmers Branch, Texas,passed away on May 2, 2019. He was born in Eram, Oklahoma on October 9, 1932. Frank attended Morris High School prior to joining the Army in 1947. He was married to Donna (Davis) Perkins on January 4, 1972. Frank retired from the Army after serving for 20 years. A proud member of the Field Artillery Regiment, he was assigned to a variety of operational units, including the 82nAirborne Division, the 508th Airborne Regimental Combat Team, the 101st Airborne Division, the 3rd Armored Division, and the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) as well as an advisor to the Tennessee Army National Guard. His tours included overseas duty in Panama, Japan, Germany, and Vietnam (1965-1966) and his awards include the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Master Parachutist Badge. After retiring from the Army in 1967, Frank started his own gas and automotive repair business in Marlow, Oklahoma. Moving to the Dallas area, he worked as the manager
of a convenience store before starting his own business, Mobile Mechanic, in Farmers Branch. He retired from the mechanic business in 1980. He was a member of The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S., Military Order of the Purple Heart, and the Masonic Lodge (Winchester, Tennessee), and had a passion for sports, computer repair, and storytelling. "First Sergeant Airborne" could always be counted on for sage advice, a sympathetic ear, and how it was in the old Army. He was survived by children Susan (Perkins) Organ, Colonel Stephen Perkins, U.S. Army Retired, and Vicki (Adams) Parnell,grandchildren Jamie (Organ) Perez, Derek Starnes, Daniel Parnell, and Cameron Perkins, great-grandchildren Michael Harris and Zelda Perez, brother Earl Perkins and sister Delores (Perkins) Forrester. Visitation will be held from 7-9 on Tuesday, May 14 at Rhoton Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at Rhoton Funeral Home, Carrollton, Texas. To leave an online condolence to the family, please visit our website at www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/carrollton-tx/franklin-perkins-8274670.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18