Grace Perkins
December 13, 1931 - February 1, 2023
Grace Johnson Perkins passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family, at 91 years of age. Grace was a vibrant and adventurous woman – a true force in every aspect of her life. She left a huge impact on all those she met and will be greatly missed.
Above all else, Grace was an amazing mother and guide to her four sons – Roland, Christopher, Phillips and Jonathan. Together with her late husband Roland ‘Perk’ Perkins, she modeled a deep love of family, as evidenced by her infamous Sunday Night Dinners, epic Thanksgiving celebrations, and extended family reunions.
Grace was born in New Castle, Pennsylvania, the second of Charles and Marie Johnson’s four children. She was particularly close to her grandmother, family matriarch and namesake, Grace Phillips Johnson, with whom she shared many interests and frequently traveled. She graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1953. Literally ‘shifting gears,’ she drove a 1952 MG TD Roadster across the country to California, attending graduate school for Geology at Stanford University. It was there she met her husband, Perk, an aspiring Neurosurgeon also at Stanford. As he began his medical career, she secured employment with Standard Oil of California, where she was the first woman ever hired by the company as an exploratory petroleum geologist. Grace retained this passion for geology throughout her life and was always an enthusiastic collector – entertaining many with stories of her travels.
Deciding that field geology and extensive travel were not compatible with a growing family, she turned her focus to the upbringing of her four sons. Closer to home, she founded a small maternity clothing shop located in a converted horse paddock on San Francisco’s Union Street. Believing education to be “the one thing you can buy that no one can ever take away from you,” she also ran a small pre-school out of her home for several years. Grace was a strong supporter of the Town School for Boys, and their Clothes Closet. Later, the Perkins would go on to become one of the founding families of University High School.
Grace loved the outdoors, as did her husband Perk. With their sons, they had many happy excursions to ranches on the Northern California Coast and in Alaska (where Perk grew up), hunting for deer and ducks, fishing, and diving for abalone. She never tired of learning and was certainly never one to ignore a challenge – regularly participating in spirited games of cards and Mahjong.
As her sons left home for college, she launched a new career in residential real estate. Starting as a sales associate, she ultimately managed two of the largest residential real estate sales offices in the city – first for Grubb & Ellis and later TRI. Grace also served as President of the San Francisco Board of Realtors. Her extended real estate family included some of her closest and dearest friends.
In recent years, Grace spent more time on philanthropic endeavors, including support for Pets Unlimited (SFSPCA), the de Young Museum, the California Academy of Sciences, the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI), Edgewood Center for Children and Families, and the Winifred Johnson Clive
Foundation.
In addition to family, she delighted in spending time with her dogs, which over her life included a Puli, a Standard Poodle, several Black Labradors, a Papillon (Louis), a Miniature Poodle (Mocha), and a Daisy Dog (appropriately named Chewie).
Grace is survived by her sons Roland, Chris and Jon; daughters-in-law Adelene, Brooke, Eileen and Sonja; grandchildren Macie, Michael, Ro, Grace, Charlie, Johnny and Jack, and many other family and friends. She is predeceased by her husband Perk and son Phillips.
A ceremony to honor Grace is being held at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Please contact friends or family for more information.
In lieu of flowers, a memorial donation can be made to the San Francisco SPCA or the California Academy of Sciences.