Verna Ruth (Cole) Perkins

Verna (Cole) Perkins, age 96, formerly of Lynnfield, died of natural causes in Marshfield, Massachusetts on March 20, 2025.

Verna was born on September 9, 1928, in Carbonear, Newfoundland to William Thomas (Tom) Cole and Livy (Burke) Cole. She was the last of 10 children, six of whom survived to adulthood. Although she was uprooted when she and her mother immigrated to Massachusetts after the death of her father when she was only 16, she always kept “down home” in her heart. 

She was predeceased by her nine siblings; her husband Capt. Paul Perkins, their youngest daughter Pamela (Perkins) Wilcox, Pamela’s husband Kenneth Gilbert, and her oldest son, Ken Perkins-Gough.

Verna knew the fragility of life from an early age, yet through all the losses she suffered, she was sustained by her sense of humor, her love for her family, and her faith. She was born into the Anglican church, and was an active member of Episcopal churches in Chelsea and Lynnfield as well as Messiah Lutheran Church in Lynnfield.

She was a loving and committed wife to husband Paul Perkins for 69 years. Verna and Paul travelled often, and they especially enjoyed England, Switzerland, China, and Hawaii. She had many hobbies but was especially fond of and excelled at knitting, bowling, and baking. She always had a cup of tea and a friendly ear for friends and neighbors on Trickett Road.

A caring and supportive mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, she will be missed by her daughter Paula Sombronsky (Don) and their children Michael Sombronsky (Beth), Lauren Mohan (Jeff); Jeffrey Sombronsky (Lindsey); and Julie Moulton (Brian); her son Robert Perkins (Susan), and their children Jared (Yissel) and Lily (Charlene); and her daughter-in-law Deborah Perkins-Gough with her child Benjamin. She is also survived by nine great-grandchildren (Cole, Livy, Samuel, Ledger, Riley, Dylan, August, Preston, Winter and Yashira) and numerous nieces and nephews.

In her later years she resided at The Village at Proprietors Green in Marshfield, where she enjoyed making bonds with new friends, playing bridge, and learning cribbage under the tutelage of her son-in-law Don. The highlight of her life at Proprietors Green was that she was surrounded by family and received frequent visits from her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held from 11:00 -12:00 noon on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at Brown &; Hickey Funeral Home, 36 Trapelo Road, Belmont, MA, 02478, followed by a funeral service at 12:00 noon. Interment at Mount Auburn Cemetery Cambridge.

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