Rosemary Ross Perkins

She was born on the 12th of July 1930 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Rosemary was a graduate of Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida and she attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where she studied education and child development. During her junior year, she met Frederick Myers Perkins, Jr. and they married in December of 1950. Fred and Rosemary recently celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary with close family.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Robert Oscar Ross, Jr. and Lucile Lambert Ross of Jacksonville, Florida. She is also preceded in death by her sisters: Francis Curran, Bobbie Mims, and Betsy, who died in childhood. She is survived by her husband, Frederick Myers Perkins, Jr. and her three children,: Lucile Perkins Reed, wife of Tommy Reed of Star, Texas, Nancy Perkins of Houston, and Matthew Perkins and his wife Kim Aleah Perkins of the Woodlands. Rosemary is also survived by five grandchildren, Rosemary Reed Jones, Gene Reed, Travis Reed, Caroline Perkins, and Jaxson Perkins. She is further survived by four great-grandchildren: Sarah Lucile Jones, Tommy Jones, Frederick Reed and Robert Reed. Also surviving Rosemary is her sister, Patsy Ross Wilsie, of Roanoke, Virginia.

Fred and Rosemary lived in numerous locations throughout the United States and in Sydney, Australia. She was active in local organizations each place she lived including churches, hospitals, schools, and various youth organizations. About 50 years ago, Rosemary compiled the first directory of all the Houston area garden clubs. At the time, she was a member of the Houston Tri-Color Garden club. She was also a proud member of the Lady Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Rosemary enjoyed gardening, sewing, gourmet cooking, and entertaining. One of her lifelong passions was genealogical research. She thoroughly researched her Scotch-Irish heritage back seven generations. She authored two books covering her family history: “The Lamberts” and “The Ross Family.” Active in church wherever she lived, she was most recently a member at the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening on Friday, the 5th of February, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service celebrating her life is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Saturday, the 6th of February, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, where Rev. Rick Myers, Associate Pastor, Caring Ministries, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, is to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception in the adjacent grand foyer.

At a later time, the family will gather for a private interment at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery.