Paul John Perkin
Lt. Col. Paul John Perkin (ret. USAF), 85, of Ogden, passed away on August 20, 2025. Paul was born on March 21,1940 to Cyril John and Nellie Marie (Lehota) Perkin in Portland, Oregon. After graduating from Grant High School, he went on to study Education at Portland State College (now Portland State University). Paul interned as an elementary school teacher but had to fulfill his military duty before the school could hire him. So he joined the U.S. Air Force and went to Officer Training school in November 1963. As a captain working as a maintenance officer, he was stationed with the 29th Fighter Interceptor Squadron in Billings, Montana, where he met and married Sandra Lee Faus Blackner in May of 1968. He adopted her two daughters, Mia and Erin, and they had one more daughter, Jahnna, born in 1970. Throughout his military career, he and his family had the opportunity to live and travel in many U.S. cities and England. He retired as a Lt. Col working as Aerospace Maintenance Director in July of 1989. After two years of retirement (and getting a demotion from his housekeeping responsibilities), Paul went to work for SW Research at Hill AFB, where he worked until his second “real” retirement.
Paul had a life-long love of the outdoors and was an avid fisher, hiker, golfer and skier. He was a certified PSIA Level III ski instructor at Snowbasin for over 20 years. He and Sandy enjoyed staying at their cabin in Wyoming during the summer where he loved to fish the Clarks Fork River and many other tributaries for rainbow and cutthroat trout. He enjoyed sharing tales of fishing, wildlife encounters and near-death experiences over a beer or glass of wine (or two). He devoured books, was a crossword aficionado and loved visiting with friends and family.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Cyril and Nellie; brother Donald; sister, Leota Marie (Lee); parents-in-law, Russell and Barbra Faus; best friends: Larry Jensen, Tony Sansone, Rick Postal and Peter Miller.
Paul is survived by his wife of 57 years, Sandra; daughter, Mia, and her son, Paul Martin Kraig Oramous; daughter, Erin Perkin, DVM; daughter Jahnna and her husband Maj. Gen. Dennis Bythewood and their children, Brenna, Sean and Katie; his niece, Susan Russell, her husband Clark, and their children Jazzmin and Skyler.
The memorial service will be held at 11 am on Friday, November 28 at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Centerville. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), the Air & Space Force’s Association (AFA) and/or Ogden Valley Adaptive Sports.
Condolences may be shared with the family at www.leavittsmortuary.com