On Wednesday, May 16, 2018, our beautiful mom, Billie Faye Perkins, left this world to join her husband in the afterlife. She blessed the lives of so many with her 87 years on earth. We are so grateful to Melinda and DeAnna for their selfless dedication at mom’s side in the final months and days of her life.

Billie was one of the few people in the world who knew their purpose at a young age. When she was 11 her parents came into the room and said, “Billie we want you to meet Jerry, your new baby brother.”  There is a good chance that all she heard was, “we want you to meet your new baby.” She picked him up and declared “this is my baby!” and from that day forward, she loved, nurtured, and cared for him as she dreamed of the day she could begin a family of her own.  

At age 18 she met the man that would join her in creating a life of joy for so many. To Richard Perkins, “Dick”, she was the most kind and beautiful woman he had ever imagined.  Dick said it was love at first sight. He set out to win her love and never looked back. Their love was sealed in marriage on August 31, 1949, in the Logan, Utah LDS temple by Spencer W. Kimball for time and all eternity.  Seventeen months after their marriage, they celebrated the arrival of their firstborn child, and every couple of years thereafter, they celebrated another birth.  

After giving birth to her 11th child, Billie realized her body could not keep up with the love her heart had to offer. Fortunately, she had already been blessed with a grandchild and would go on to welcome two generations beyond that.  

Words like kind, non-judgemental, and generous cannot begin to describe this woman who chose to spend her life looking for opportunities to lovingly meet the unique personal needs of so many she would call friends. Life at our home normally included an extra child or two from families that were going through difficult times. She always had an extra hug, extra minute, and extra bed, for an anyone that might have needed a “mom” that day. As we grew up and moved away, her home continued to have a steady stream of neighborhood children asking Grandma Billie for candy, and adults looking to share the joy and sorrows of their lives with their second mom.  

She was a wonderful storyteller and countless people enjoyed the gift of hearing her recall her memories. She loved working with her hands and her creativity was without bounds. She had a love for learning and talents that grew by the day. She created wedding cakes, wedding dresses, paintings, photography, food, flowers, and many other uniquely tailored gifts for friends and loved ones needing an extra bit of love to help them through a rough patch on life's road. She never considered herself a master of anything but was recognized as an innovative professional by the best in the textile industry.  

Billie held key leadership positions in the LDS church, was a spokeswoman in the community, and continues to be referred to as Mom by people all over the world. We, her children, cherish the love of our mother that we all carry in our hearts and souls. As we gather to remember our mother, the love she gave gathers with us. 

If our mom is in your heart, or if you would like to have her there, please join with us in sharing her love on June 2, 2018. The viewing will begin at 11 a.m. with funeral services at 12:30 p.m. in the LDS church building located on 1720 Thayer Drive, Richland, WA 99354. 

She is survived by her youngest brother, Jerry, her 11 children, Darwin, Kathy, Shari, Melinda, Jeanette, Rebecca, Ginger, DeAnna, James, John, and Elizabeth, as well as more than one hundred grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.  

She is preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Richard Wendell Perkins, grandson Richard Blake Petty (Anthony Blake Perkins), great granddaughter Seinna Lynn Perkins, her parents Earley and Ellen, and three siblings: Shelton, Aubrey, and Dovelean.