Terry Ernest Perkins' Obituary
Terry Ernest Perkins
Terry Ernest Perkins was born on April 27, 1948, in DeQuincy, Louisiana, to Ernest and Doris Perkins.
Terry’s parents moved the family to Pasadena, Texas in 1950, then to Deer Park, Texas in the early 60’s, where he went to Deer Park High School. He attended San Jacinto College in Pasadena where he met his future wife, Kathy Fitzgerald, in the Fall of 1968. They married on March 5, 1971. He earned a Bachelor of Religious Education degree from the International Bible Institute & Seminary in 1982.
During high school, he was involved in the school paper and played baseball, but his first true love was music. He sang in the choir and performed solos in both high school and college, attending San Jacinto College on a full music scholarship. He became a licensed independent insurance agent after college, but soon found his calling as a music and youth director in churches. In 1976, at Second Baptist Church of Jacinto City, he began an almost 30-year ministry of the Praise Fest Singers, taking a group of youth and singles on a summer choir tour, singing at churches across the country. He continued the tradition of summer choir tours as he moved to Calvary Baptist Church in 1985, before beginning a full time independent ministry in 1990. He and Kathy established and managed a trio with Buddy Moore early in their ministry. They also established and managed the Legacy Quartet with Patrick Stewart and Chuckie Deinum as well as a trio with Jennifer Ivey, featuring Dusty Dickerson on keyboards. These groups sang in churches and revivals throughout the United States. Praise Fest changed from being a summer choir tour to a year round group, whose members changed over the course of the next 14 years. Throughout his life, Terry ministered to hundreds of churches, and became a leader and mentor to countless youth, singles, and church families. After leaving full-time ministry, Terry managed Legacy Sound and served at HIS Tapes and Psalms Recording Studio, continuing to work with music.
He loved nothing more than spending time with his family and was very proud of his wife, children, and grandchildren (who knew him as “Punky”). He always supported anything they wanted to do or were involved in, from helping Kelly find her first apartment in a place where she’d feel safe, to waiting to retire from sound jobs until Tylar graduated from high school so he could help with her last choir concerts. He was surrounded by friends he considered family and was able to spend his last few weeks visiting with family and friends, sitting on his porch swing watching the birds and airplanes. He was happy and at peace.
Special thanks to the friends who helped care for him during his last months: Lenora Krone, Pam Weatherly, Liz Stephens, Frances Welch, Janet Parsons, and Patsy Smith.
Terry is survived by his loving wife, Esther Kathleen (Kathy) Perkins of Houston, TX; son Matt Perkins and wife Misty of Montgomery, TX and their children Tylar and Jacob; daughter Kelly Rundall and husband Paul of Alvin, TX; his brother Carl Choate and wife Cyndy of Murfreesboro, TN; his brother Randy and wife Jeannie of Oak Point, TX; extended family and countless friends.
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