Obituary: Perks, George Herbert
Age 66
Born October 23, 1947, in Sandpoint, Idaho, to Eunice and Floyd Perks, he lived all of his life in Idaho and Washington.
He graduated from Sandpoint Senior High in 1966.
He attended the MEBA Marine Engineering School in Baltimore, Maryland receiving his Marine Engineer Steam License.
On June 20, 1970, he married Kathleen Housman in Seattle, WA.
They moved to Centralia, WA, where George worked at the Centralia Steam Power Plant.
George eventually moved on to bigger things and was hired by Washington Water Power (Avista Energy) as construction manager for a new waste wood fired power plant at Kettle Falls, WA.
During construction George helped with several design changes that enabled the plant to produce power at a higher rate than the design specifications.
George eventually became Vice-president of Thermal Power for all of Avista until his retirement in 2008.
Throughout his life George had an avid interest in flying and photography.
He obtained his pilot’s license while in Centralia and accumulated over 4000 hours of flight time during his life.
He became very proficient at both air-to-ground and air-to-air photography.
He was invited in 2008 to join the flight team that marked the eightieth anniversary of air mail in the United States.
He served as photographer and progress correspondent, reporting each day’s progress to the Smithsonian Institution.
The three plane flight of vintage aircraft, including a restored Boeing C-40 that actually flew mail in 1929, flew from New York to San Francisco following the original route of the mail planes while carrying official US Post Office mail.
George continued to fly with friends and his son until shortly before his death.
George is survived by his wife Estella Kathleen, and two sons, Brian George and Steven Gregory; his mother Eunice Perks (Gene) Hayes, Wallowa, Oregon; sister Hazel (Mike) Sutton, Pocatello, ID; brother Chris (Christine) Perks, Yakima, WA, eight nieces and nephews and an assortment of grand nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Nazarene Church, 9004 N. Country Homes Blvd., Spokane, WA, Friday, January 17th, at 6:00pm.