Former President of Acadia University passes away
James Russell Conway "Jim" Perkin, BA, MA, D.Phil, D.Litt, DD, of Wolfville, died peacefully at Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville, on December 13, 2017. Jim was born in Northamptonshire, England, on August 19, 1928, son of the late William and Lily Maud (Drage) Perkin. At age 17 he joined the Royal Air Force and served for three years. He studied at Oxford University and Strasbourg University, France, obtaining the BA, MA, and D.Phil degrees. From 1956 to 1962 he was Minister of the Altrincham Baptist Church in Cheshire and active in local educational and athletic circles. In 1963 he was appointed Lecturer at New College, Edinburgh University, where he was primarily responsible for teaching New Testament Greek. In 1965 he immigrated with his family to Canada and he assumed the position of Associate Professor of New Testament Interpretation in McMaster Divinity College. In 1969 he was appointed to Acadia University, Wolfville, where he was successively Head of the Department of Religious Studies, Dean of Arts, Vice-President (Academic) and President and Vice Chancellor, retiring in 1993. He was Chairman of the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents and active in the Association of Commonwealth Universities. His community service was mainly in the field of health administration, including being for five years (1994-99) Chairman of the Western Regional Health Board; he was a member of the Valley Hospice Foundation from its inception in 2000. For more than thirty years, Jim planned and led services at the Covenanter Church in Grand Pré. An established author, Jim wrote sixteen books and edited four others, along with approximately five hundred chapters, articles, reviews and reports chiefly in the fields of theology, history, language, biography and health. In 1992 he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for Canada's 125th anniversary, and in 2013 the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal. Other awards include an honorary DD from McMaster University and an honorary D.Litt from Acadia. He was a lover of music and literature and a keen vegetable gardener. He is survived by his wife of sixty-four years, Dorothy Joan Louise (Bentley); sons, Dr Russell (Dr Deborah Kennedy) Halifax; the Reverend John (Dorothy), Sackville, N.B.; and daughter, Anne Louise (the Reverend Timothy McFarland), Wolfville, and grandchildren, Wray and Joanna. Cremation has taken place. Visitation was held from 2-4 p.m. Sunday, December 17, 2017 in the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville. The funeral service was held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, December 18, 2017 in the Wolfville Baptist Church. Burial will take place at a later date. Following the funeral service, a reception was held in the Wu Centre, Alumni Hall, Acadia University. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Kirton Scholarship at Acadia University, Wolfville, N.S. B4P 2R6, or Valley Hospice Foundation, 23 Earnscliffe Avenue, Wolfville, N.S., B4P 1X4, or a charity of choice. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville. On-line inquiries and condolences may be directed to www.whitefamilyfuneralhome.com.