Obituary of Allan Gordon Perkins

August 1, 1940 – November 1, 2025 • Age 85

With deep love and gratitude, the family announces the peaceful passing of Allen Earnest Gordon “Gordon” Perkins on November 1, 2025, at Hants Community Hospital, surrounded by loved ones.

Born at Lions Gate Hospital in North Vancouver, Gordon was shaped by his maternal grandparents, Henrietta and Ernest—Newfoundlanders whose faith, service, and steadiness grounded him for important periods of his youth. In his childhood, his family followed ranch work through the B.C. interior; he learned to ride, kept a pet baby goat, and often felt the ache of changing schools. As a teen, he returned to North Vancouver to live again with his grandparents.

At twenty, he joined the Royal Canadian Navy, beginning a 33-year career. An early munitions accident cost him a finger—and introduced him to Lillian, the love of his life. He served at sea and, after transferring to military photography, at CFB Cornwallis, CFB Shearwater, and CFB Ottawa. Calm under pressure, he flew in the back seat of jets to document Cold War incursions and handled aircraft accident photography with dignity. In the late 1970s, he operated a satellite-tracking camera at CFB Cold Lake for four winters and summers, often working in frigid cold beneath the northern lights. His expertise led to a three-and-a-half-year posting toNORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs and assignments in Hawaii and South Korea. Returning to Canada, he was promoted to Master Warrant Officer and retired in 1991. After retirement, he served for ten years with the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires. He and Lillian resided happily and proudly at their home in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, for 29 years, before moving to Windsor, Nova Scotia.

Service to others also defined Gordon's personal life. A former competitive swimmer, he coached youth teams in Cornwallis and Shearwater. He joined Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a young man, remained sober for life, and sponsored many—always ready to listen and walk beside them. A steady husband and father of three, he was calm in crisis and generous with counsel, rooted in honesty, responsibility, and respect.

In retirement he pursued art, perfected his coffee ritual and his homemade chili sauce, loved le Carré and Grisham, country music (especially 105.9 Seaside FM), and quiet hours in his sunroom.

Gordon is survived by wife Lillian (née Teal); children Sheldon, Scott, and Jacqueline; son-in-law Jamie; daughter-in-law Victoria; grandchildren Lucas, Lyndsay, Hayden, and Marlon; and niece Kini Perkins. Predeceased by his parents, siblings, and maternal grandparents.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the second-floor nurses and staff at the Hants Community Hospital for their exceptional care. Deep gratitude is also owed to the volunteer who kept vigil by Gordon's side—often long into the night—allowing the family to rest and ensuring Gordon always felt a reassuring presence nearby. 

A celebration of life will be held at Maritime Cremation Centre, Lower Sackville, NS from 2-4 PM on Friday, November 7, 2025. In lieu of flowers, please support a local veterans’ organization, the Salvation Army, a charity of your choice, or lend an ear to someone who needs it.