William C. Perkins

AIKEN, SC – DR. WILLIAM CLOPTON PERKINS, SR., 73, died Tuesday, January 9, 2007 at his residence. Bill was born January 6, 1934 in Lynchburg, VA to Herman Evant and Lellie Winfree Burks Perkins. He graduated from E. C. Glass High in Lynchburg in 1951 and then received a BS in chemistry from Duke University. He then completed his MA in Physical Chemisty and PhD in Nuclear Chemistry from The Johns Hopkins University. He married Nan Marie Shea of Lynchburg on August 27, 1955 and moved to Aiken in 1960 with DuPont’s Savannah River Laboratory. He then transferred to WSRC in 1989 when Westinghouse took over operations of SRP. Dr. Perkins retired from Westinghouse in 1995. He has served as Grand Knight of the Aiken Council of Knight of Columbus, chairman of the Savannah River Section of the American Chemical Society, past president of the Aiken Chapter of the American Diabetes Association, St. Angela’s Associates, former faithful scribe of the Fourth Degree Assembly of Aiken Knights of Columbus and was a former publicity chairman of the Aiken Chapter of the American Cancer Society. He was a member of the Green Boundary Club and was a former member of the American Nuclear Society, Midland Valley Country Club, Palmetto Golf Club, Fermata Club, Aiken Cotillion and the board of directors of the Aiken Civic Ballet. Survivors include his wife, Nan Shea “Mickey” Perkins, five children, Michael S. Perkins, Charleston, SC, Mary Lell Perkins, Lexington, SC, Katherine P. Burgess, Charleston, SC, William C. Perkins, Jr., Jacksonville, FL and Anne P. Johnston, Ft. Mill, SC, four grandchildren and one great-grandson. The Funeral Mass will be held Saturday at 11:00 AM at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church with The Rev. Marcin Zahuta as celebrant. Interment will follow in the historic Bethany Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Michael Hardwick, Melvin A. Knowles, Dr. Joseph D. Spencer, Harry O. Weeks, Jr., Jack Schurlknight and Marion Whaley, Jr. A Christian Wake Service will be held Friday at 6:00 PM at Shellhouse – Rivers Funeral Home with visitation following until 8:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Joseph Hospice, 681 Silver Bluff Rd., Aiken, SC 29803 or Savannah River Cancer Foundation, P. O. Box 1964, Aiken, SC 29802. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William C. Perkins, please visit our flower store.