Deceased December 5, 2018
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In Memory
Bob Perkins died Dec. 5 at age 79 of gastric cancer complicated by Parkinson’s disease. He is survived by his wife, Ginny (McMillin); two children, Betsy and Bob; and two grandchildren. Bob came to Amherst from Sidwell Friends School. He was a member of Delta Upsilon at Amherst, majoring in economics. His thesis topic was “Should the U.S. Adopt Compulsory Health Insurance.” A man ahead of his time. He received an M.B.A. from Kellogg Business School at Northwestern.
Bob was a banker, beginning with Central National Bank in Cleveland as pension fund portfolio manager, moving to the trust department and then into bank management as director of corporate planning, then treasurer of the bank holding company and member of the office of the chairman. After the bank was sold, he worked for Key Corp. and then started an investment and financial planning business, retiring in 2009.
Bob and Ginny lived in Bratenahl, Ohio, on Lake Erie, east of Cleveland; had a summer home in Chautauqua, N.Y.; and wintered in Fort Myers, Fla. They traveled extensively to many parts of the world. Bob enjoyed tennis, golf and fly fishing. He volunteered with a number of not-for-profits, including the Deaconess Community Foundation, Cleveland Skating Club, Young Audiences of North East Ohio and the Suicide Prevention Center.
Mark Levine ’61, a great friend of Bob’s, informed us of his death. Mark reports that Bob loved life and had an infectious personality, with many friends, and was devoted to his wife and family. Mark says Bob was emblematic of what the Chautauqua Institution stood for, with a keen mind and intellectual curiosity.
One of Bob’s last efforts for the class of 1961 was reaching out to Bart Myers ’61 before Bart’s death.
Ted Ells ’61