Gordon Mark PERKINS

With great sadness but also great respect, we say goodbye for now to Mark. Mark passed away peacefully at home from Line of Duty Firefighter cancer, surrounded by family and friends.

He is survived by his best friend of 65 years and wife of 54 years, Fern, and their three children, Rachel, Vince (Lori) and Joel (Taryn). Mark also leaves four grandchildren: Jackson, Brody, Cameryn and Declan.

Mark was born in Victoria at the Royal Jubilee Hospital. He attended Frank Hobbs, Gordon Head Jr. Secondary and graduated from Oak Bay Sr. Secondary in 1967. A talented baseball player, he was scouted by the San Francisco Giants and was sent on scholarship to Spokane Falls Community College (Spokane, WA) and later Lewis Clark State College (Lewiston, ID), where he earned a BSc. in Math and Physical Education. During that time, he also played soccer for Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA). He was named both Academic and Athletic All American, and received honourable mention as an LCSC Warrior Baseball player. In the summers Mark would play semi-professional baseball for the North Battleford Beavers. He played on the Canadian National Baseball Team and was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1972 he completed his post degree teaching certificate at the University of Victoria, and taught at schools throughout Greater Victoria and Sooke. After a year of teaching, Mark decided he’d “rather face a burning building than a classroom,” so in 1974 he traded lesson plans for emergencies and joined the Victoria Fire Department, where he stayed for over 33 years, retiring in 2007 as Battalion Chief.

Mark was proud of his Cree-Métis roots, and was a proud member of Métis Nation Greater Victoria and a citizen of Métis Nation British Columbia. For the last 20 years of his life, Mark gave his time and expertise as an Indigenous education resource for Victoria, Saanich and Sooke School Districts, and volunteered at the John Howard Society, assisting in restorative justice programs for Métis youth. He also led Fallen Firefighter and Métis history tours at Ross Bay Cemetery for the Old Cemeteries’ Society.

We invite all who knew Mark to attend his Celebration of Life at the Saanich Fairgrounds (1528 Stelly’s X Rd. in Saanichton) on Saturday, March 7, 2026 at 1pm.

As this is a Line of Duty service, we invite Firefighters, RCMP, and Municipal Police to wear their dress uniforms according to their protocols, if they wish. We also invite Indigenous Peoples to wear their cultural attire to honour Mark’s Cree-Métis ancestry, if they wish. Beads, moccasins, and ribbon shirts and skirts are welcome!