Boyd Phillip Perkins
June 30, 1940 – August 11, 2026
In accordance with his wishes, cremation will take place. He will be laid to rest at Fort Custer National Cemetery on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 12:00 PM (please arrive in the cemetery assembly area at 11:45 AM. Following the interment family and friends are invited to gather at Huntington Run 6255 Cranbrook Kalamazoo, MI 49009, beginning at 2:00 PM (food will not be provided but guests are welcome to bring a dish to share). Your presence and support during this special time are deeply appreciated and the family looks forward to celebrating his life with those who knew and loved him.
Memorial contributions may be made to the VA Hospital in his memory.
Obituary
Boyd Phillip “Phil” Perkins, 86, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, passed away at his home on August 11, 2026.
Phil was born June 30, 1940, in Kentucky, the son of Daniel Martin Perkins and Nora Mae (Little) Perkins. One of seven children, he maintained strong ties to his Kentucky roots throughout his life. The Perkins family moved to Michigan when his father found work at a paper mill in Kalamazoo, establishing family roots that would span both states for generations.
After leaving high school, Phil enlisted in the United States Army and served during the Vietnam War. He later continued his military service with the Michigan National Guard.
Following his military service, Phil held a variety of jobs before beginning a long career in security. His work eventually took him from Georgia Pacific to the Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo. Throughout his life, he also pursued other work and interests. Mechanically inclined and a natural tinkerer, he worked on cars, spent time as a mechanic and, for a period, owned a garage with his brother.
Phil had a lifelong curiosity about how things worked and enjoyed learning new skills and taking on projects. He enjoyed comic books, cars, gardening and woodworking. Genealogy became an enduring interest, and he spent many years researching the Perkins family history, tracing generations of relatives and maintaining a connection to the family's history in Kentucky.
Phil was the father of three daughters: Tammy Perkins, Melinda Anderson and Samantha (Jim) Kreitner. Tammy preceded him in death in 2021. He is also survived by his wife, Kristine (Minshall) Perkins; stepchildren Silverly (David) May, Anjeanette Hamel and Toby Bagley; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and his younger brother, William “Bill” Perkins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Daniel and Nora Mae Perkins; his sisters, Christine (Robert “Bob”) Sherman and Maxine (Robert “Bob”) Newton; and his brothers, Forest, Luther “L.C.” and Gene Perkins.
