Bobby Jack Perkins

Bobby Jack Perkins was born on March 14, 1929 in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in Mabank, TX with his parents and younger brother, Tom. As a teenager, he held several jobs including being a "soda jerk" at the local ice cream parlor. He loved vanilla shakes. He was also in the ROTC in high school which allowed him to serve in the Texas State Guard in 1945 during the war and was honorably discharged with the comments of “excellent character” and “honest & faithful service”. He was promoted to staff Sargent. In 1947 he passed the civil service commission test with flying colors and worked as a substitute mail carrier for the US Postal Service. He was in the radio club in high school where he found one of his great passions - working with electronics and radios. He went to radio school and upon graduation immediately went to work at a radio station in Breckenridge, TX as a radio engineer. He eventually purchased a 500' radio tower and had it moved to Weatherford, TX. He took great pride in stacking that tower and becoming an owner of his very own radio tower. After his job at the radio station ended due to the owner selling the station, he landed a job at Bell Helicopter retiring in 1994 after approximately 30 years of service. His job at Bell enabled him to travel all over the world. Jack had both his pilot’s license and real estate license. He loved routine. He loved seeing the same people weekly, at his favorite stops along his weekly adventures, whether it be the post office, the bank, Taco Casa or Harbor Freight. He loved that they recognized him and that these special people always knew his name and greeted him with a smile. The crew at Taco Casa nicknamed him "Ornery" and he was a closet comedian at heart. He could catch you off guard and crack you up with the funniest comments that you never saw coming. He loved to agitate people and flirt with the ladies. After retirement, he often ran errands for his wife's CPA business and he had more tools, flashlights and tape measures than anyone alive. He married Dorthy Barnett Cranford on February 11, 1994. They were married until her passing in 2015. He was baptized in the Methodist church and also attended Broadway Baptist Church and Gambrell Street Baptist Church with his wife Dorthy.

He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Aliene Perkins, 3 step sons and their wives Chris and Tanya Cranford, Don and Hallie Cranford, and Greg and Jennifer Cranford along with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, his niece and her husband, Julie and Vince McCall, and nephew and his wife, Steve and Lauri Perkins.

We will surely miss Jack.