Archives West Finding Aid

Dean Richard Perkins was born on August 5, 1928 in Montpelier, Idaho to Mary Ann Dayton and Joseph Bunney Perkins. In the 1930s, the Perkins family moved to Ogden, Utah, where Dean Perkins and his siblings began skiing as children. Dean Perkins attended Weber State and the University of Utah, where he was a member of both the ski and tennis teams. Perkins was a member of the United States FIS Ski Team in 1950 and 1951. During this time, Perkins became familiar with the Wood River Valley of Idaho, where he would later build a second home. He married Janet Diane Bell Perkins Rigler (1938-2018); the couple had two children and later divorced. Perkins competed in numerous events during college and just after, winning first place in both downhill and giant slalom. Perkins was training for the 1952 Olympics when he was drafted into the United States Army during the Korean War. He joined the United States Army Ski Team and raced throughout Europe, including in several post-Olympic races with the United States Ski Team.

In 1955, Perkins returned to Ogden, where he opened Perkins Ltd, a sporting goods and clothing store. In addition to this business, Perkins worked as a manufacturer’s representative for Roffe and Demetre Ski Wear. He founded the Perkins Ltd. Ski School and served on the board of the Western Winter Sports Representatives Association. In 2013, Dean Perkins was inducted into the Intermountain Ski Hall of Fame for his contributions to skiing through competition and the development of the ski industry through his work in retail. In addition to skiing, Perkins was involved in mountain climbing, tennis, and motorcycle and automobile racing.

Dean Perkins died on September 10, 2016, in Ogden, Utah. (Adapted from “Dean R. Perkins Obituary,” The Salt Lake Tribune, September 18, 2016)