Otis Perkins, aged 96 years minus one day, retired from life on September 1 st , 2019.

Otis and his twin sister Lotis w ere born among the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the Glomawr coal camp in Kentucky on September 2 nd , 1923. As a young man, Otis served in WWII as a Navy gunner on a PBY seaplane and ventured as far as Brazil in active combat. Upon his safe return to the U.S., Otis enrolled in journalism school at the University of Kentucky and graduated to rise in the ranks of his hometown newspaper—the Hazard Herald—as writer and editor. In the late 1950s, Otis took a job at the News & Courier in Charleston, South Carolina before finally settling his growing family in Jacksonville, Florida. As a writer and editor for the Florida Times-Union for 30 years, Otis dutifully reported stories vast in both subject matter and historical significance and one of his articles is in the Library of Congress. But his truest joy in life was raising three daughters with his wife Madeline. Family trips to the beach, listening to music and encouraging his family to appreciate all kinds of music, late nights playing cards with the neighbors, cheering on UK and the Seminoles, and making a home for stray pets were his favorite. Later in life, Otis was blessed with five grandchildren and "Poppa" spent every Thanksgiving and Christmas listening to their stories and putting together their new toys. Even as the slow grip of dementia tightened, Otis never lost his sense of humor, never stopped singing, and always had a smile, a hug, or a "hey, honey" ready for his family and caregivers.

In death Otis reunites with his beloved wife of 49 years, Madeline Baker Perkins, mother and father, America and Joseph Perkins, three of his eight siblings Lotis, Haskell and Roy Perkins, and the many orphaned dogs and cats he rescued in his lifetime.

He is proudly survived by his three devoted daughters; Candace Perkins, Tracy Malone (Bob) and Valerie McCarthy (Sean), his five loving grandchildren; Kristi, Cory, Brendan, Ryan and Cameron, his sisters; Faye Egnor, Phyllis Pitcock, Martina Donehoo, Rose Lee Hadley and brother Joseph Perkins Jr., along with his dedicated caregivers; Fozia Abdulmeik and Wanda Komatz.

In the words of Otis, we find comfort knowing that "memories nourish love everlasting." We will miss him always.

A service celebrating the life of Otis Perkins will take place on September 14 th , 2019 at 11:00 a.m. graveside at the Arlington Park Cemetery, 6921 Lone Star Rd., Jacksonville, FL. 32211

In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Otis' memory to Community Hospice, 4266 Sunbeam Rd., Jacksonville, FL. 32257 or Safe Animal Shelter, 2913 County Road 220, Middleburg, FL.  32068