In Memory of

Dr. Darrow Perkins, Jr. '83 said:

Willie and I met at West Jeff as members of the band, then known as Buc-N-Jam!. He played the Tuba and I was a drummer. Our friendship soon grew as we were in the same home room class for the four years we attended WJ. He was a very talented musician and went on to become a drum major for the band in our senior year. Upon graduation, we joined the U. S. Marine Corps. We (Willie, Melvin Walker, Dwayne Munch, and I) all left together, but got separated when we arrived at boot camp. As a result, Willie and Melvin were assigned to 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, and Dwayne and I were assigned to 1st Recruit Training Battalion. Because of this, Willie and Melvin graduated one week before me. Of the four of us, I was the only one that signed up for active duty, and the rest were reservists. Willie went to school to become a Military Police Officer and transferred that to civilian life. We connected briefly in 2020 when he looked me up online and found out that I had written some books, and what I didn't know is that he was an avid reader. We talked and caught up on life and agreed to stay in touch. I recall he reached out to me when he was promoted to Sergeant and then to Lieutenant. One of the times I reached out to him is when I found out he had passed away. Willie was a good friend and a good brother in arms. He served his country and his community as well. He is missed! Blessings!

Rev. Dr. Darrow Perkins, Jr., Th.D., D.Min.
www.darrowperkinsjr.com