Marquist Eugene Perkins

M. Eugene Perkins, 89, passed away quietly at his home on Monday, December 21, 2015. He was born in Kaysville, Utah on July 1, 1926, to William Richard Perkins and Mamie Coombs, the sixth of nine children.

Gene, as he was known to the many people who love him, leaves behind a legacy of service and hard work, and will always be remembered for his humility, kindness and constant concern for the welfare of others.

Shortly after he graduated from Davis High School in 1944, he was drafted into the Army and sent to fight in Europe. As with everything in his life, he gave it his all and was honored with a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. He returned home in 1946 and went to work for the Clearfield Naval Base.

He married his sweetheart, Shirley Gattis, on June 3, 1947, in Layton, Utah. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple in 1967, and are the parents of four children.

After a stint in Cheyenne, Wyoming at Dynalectron Corp. and Boeing Co., he returned to Kaysville and Hill Air Force Base, where he retired as an aircraft maintenance foreman in 1988.

Gene was well known for his sense of humor and loved to make people laugh. He also loved to golf, fish and hunt, and could often be found working in his yard. His greatest joy, however, always came from just being with his family, which he valued above everything else in life. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and spent his life serving those around him.

Gene was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Richard and Dean Perkins and granddaughter Callie Perkins. He is survived by his wife Shirley, children Kent (Lynne), Cory (Lillie), Mark (Christine) and Shelley (Danny) Sanchez, brothers Merrill, Harold and Vaughn, sisters Elaine Roberts, Beverly Ferrante and Marsha Rackham, 17 grandchildren and 46 great grandchildren.

The family would like to thank the nurses and staff from Sunrise Home Health and Hospice for their care, especially Carole and Madison.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, December 30, 2015 at 11:00 am

at the LDS Stake Center at 855 E. Mutton Hollow Road in Kaysville, Utah. Friends and family are invited to visit Tuesday evening from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at the same location, and Wednesday morning from 9:30 - 10:30 am prior to the service. Interment will follow at the Lindquist Layton Cemetery.

Online obituary and condolences available at www.wasatchlawn.com. - See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=m-eugene-perkins&pid=177018403&fhid=11609#sthash.T5RQDmuY.dpuf