James Ray Perkins
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James Ray Perkins, age 68, of South Bend, Indiana, passed away July 10, 2019 at Boone Hospital in Columbia due to complications of a stroke.
Jim was born January 11, 1951 in Independence, Missouri to parents William Donald Perkins and Betty Ray (McKlellen) Perkins.
He was preceded in death by his father, William Donald Perkins, and mother, Betty Ray Forbis, as well as a brother, Robert (Bob) Howard Perkins.
He leaves to mourn his passing the love of his life, Shirley Elad-Perkins of their home in South Bend, Indiana; three sisters: Linda Poland of Belle, Missouri; Ladonna Perkins of Bella Vista, Arkansas; and Brenda Howell of Hallsville, Missouri. Jim will be sadly missed by many family members and friends.
Jim graduated from Hickman High School in Columbia, then continued to pursue his love of learning at the School of the Ozarks, studied drafting at Linn Tech, and attended Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. He most enjoyed working as a security guard.
Jim was a lifetime learner and an amazing game player, excelling at backgammon and teaching many games to students in after school programs and public libraries. He generously gifted his time and teaching skills to anyone interested in learning. He was a regular at the Chicory Cafe in South Bend where he shared his games with many, many friends.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Donations to the American Diabetes Association in memory of Jim are appreciated.
Visits: 3
–We sent this report to our local chess and backgammon players: Game enthusiast Jim Perkins, 68, recently of South Bend, passed away on July 10 in Columbia, Missouri. As we reported a few weeks ago, Jim had suffered a stroke and was hospitalized in Illinois. He was recovering and was in rehab in his home town in Missouri when he suffered a heart attack. Our condolences to his wife Shirley.
Jim played in chess tournaments some years ago, but branched out into other games and specialized in teaching them to beginners. In the late 1990’s and 2000’s he was active in promoting “Jack of All Games” tourneys which included classics such as Mancala, Nine Men’s Morris, and Big-Board Checkers. He and Shirley helped run the series of annual Monopoly tournaments held 14 years in a row at Bittersweet Branch Library. In the last few years, Jim was frequently found at the Chicory Café with a backgammon set ready.
I had many good times with Jim and Shirley in the last 23 years. Roger Blaine, Mishawaka, Ind.
A wonderful man, a warm heart … I will miss you every minute of every day.
Shirley