Obituary of Frank Arden Perkins

Frank Arden Perkins, Jr., 87, died Friday, September 15, 2017 at Holmes Regional Medical Center. He is survived by his sons Paul of Hiawassee, Ga and David (Val) of Meridianville, AL; his friend and companion of many years Sandra Cope. Frank was born in Atlanta, GA to Frank and Pauline Gaither Perkins, Sr. on December 17, 1929. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Upon graduation, he was called to active duty in the US Army and served as instructor on the guidance and telemetry systems for the Corporal, the Army’s first surface to surface guided missile. During his Army career he resided in Pasadena, CA and Huntsville, AL. When he was released from active duty, he took advantage of his experience in the Army to work as an electrical engineer the rest of his career. Frank moved to Melbourne in 1955 first working for RCA at Patrick Air Force Base as an engineer on radar tracking systems. Next he worked at Missileonics, Inc., a small electronics comp;any. In 1959 he went to work for Radiation Inc. and then worked for their successor Harris Corporation until his retirement in 1988. He had enjoyed most of his business travel, having traveled more extensively during retirement. He served as a volunteer on some 20 expeditions with Earthwatch and similar organizations, visiting such exotic locations as Kenya, Papua New Guinea and the Falkland Islands. He was an avid fly fisherman, traveling extensively with his fly rods, fishing in places as diverse as Mongolia, the Seychelles Islands and the Kamchatka Peninsula of eastern Russia. He wet a line in about 23 countries around the world. In all, he visited about 75 countries. He photographed many sights on his travels, a number of his photos were published, including one on the cover of Earthwatch Annual Report. He also published three books covering his travels. Frank will be missed by his family and friends, work associates and various social groups. Arrangements entrusted to Ammen Family Cremation and Funeral Care, Melbourne, FL (321) 724-2222. He will be placed at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 US Highway 1, Mims, FL with US Army honors at a later date.