Norma Jean Perkins, 71, left us on November 24, 2025 in Anchorage, Alaska. Norma lived a full life of Faith, Family and a professional career in health care.
Norma Jean was the first child of Raymond and Rosalie Perkins, born on Alaska Day, October 18, 1954. After graduation from Sitka High School, Norma attended Sheldon Jackson Junior College, then went on to University of Washington, focusing her studies on accounting, money management, and business administration. She worked her way back to Sitka and would eventually settle into a career path in health care administration with the SE Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) in the finance department. In her role she was responsible for creating, managing, and overseeing the SEARHC budgets and strove to helping the organization run efficiently.
Under Hospital Administrator Frank Sutton, Norma eventually became the SEARHC Hospital Deputy and Administrative Officer. While working full time and with the support of Mr. Sutton, she began a master’s degree program in Health Care Administration at Trinity University. Mr. Sutton saw Norma’s potential and had her working across several departments to learn the operational aspects of running the SEARHC regional health care facility. Mr. Sutton stated that he admired Norma’s exceptional financial skills as one of the key reasons he guided her career path. Norma was appointed Hospital Administrator. when Mr. Sutton moved to a higher position. She was dedicated, and a self-motivated, focused, professional. Driven to achieve organizational excellence– a marker in her professional career and was dedicated to ensuring the Alaska Native and American Indian patients at SEARHC receive the best health care they could receive in her organization. Mr. Sutton also said that she became that unwavering friend to his family – a trait that has been expressed by many people in Norma’s life.
In 2019, Norma followed her father, Raymond Perkin’s footsteps, and was elected to the Shee Atika Corporation Board of Directors, serving three consecutive terms until she stepped down in 2025.
In his reflection of Norma’s service to the corporation. Board Chairman Steve Karpstein reflected, “Norma was a woman of humor, wisdom, tenacity, love, and above all, faith”. Shee Atika Corporation celebrated Norma’s legacy as one of leadership and integrity, acknowledging her unwavering commitment to the mission and the shareholders she loved serving.
She had a passion for being fully engaged with everything she participated in, but her faith and her love for family came first. Norma’s unwavering faith in Jesus as the son of God was a cornerstone in her life. She gave herself to living as a devoted follower of Jesus in mid-life. She enjoyed fellowship with her church family and also shared her commitment to Jesus as a foundation for how she lived her life of faith. At family gatherings, Norma always led dinner with a prayer for the family. She loved sharing her passion for her faith as a way to help others see how faith inspired her.
Most of all, Norma loved family. She enjoyed family gatherings throughout the years, but especially loved interacting with her nieces and nephews, relishing her role as Aunt Norma or Great Auntie Norma - that smile of hers would light up the room when she was with her great nephews and nieces whom she loved dearly, watching them grow up around her.
Norma enjoyed making her favorite foods from our mom’s Laguna Pueblo side of the family; however, she loved and couldn’t resist her sister Mona’s pan-fried chicken and potato salad…
She enjoyed visiting her Laguna Pueblo side of the family. Especially our Aunt Bea Collins (previously Foster) who was our Mom’s youngest sister in Portland Oregon, who came up to Sitka when Norma was a toddler to help care for her. She also loved traveling down to Albuquerque to visit the rest of the family in Laguna, New Mexico. She would come back home to Sitka to share funny stories and laughter about family time in the lower 48.
The family will always remember her beautiful smile, her loud, happy, cackling infectious laugh that she shared with all around her. And remember fondly her love of the color purple and her turquoise jewelry.
Norma was preceded in death by her dad, Raymond Perkins, her mom Rosalie (Anderson) Perkins, her second mom Lucille (Rogers) Perkins, and her brother Gary (Kim) Perkins. She leaves behind her two sisters Mona Perkins and Rosalie (Darryl) McCrummen, and her little brother and champion, Keith Perkins. She also leaves her two step-sisters, Teri (Larry) Pouliot and Shirl (Bob) Stage, and many cousins, nieces, nephews, and especially her great-nieces and great-nephews.
Norma Jean Perkin’s ashes will be spread in places that gave her smiles. She also wished for some of her ashes to be placed up on Calvary in Israel, a placed she traveled to and remembered fondly as a place of faith.
The family invites all to celebrate Norma's life at 4 p.m., Saturday, May 16, at Centennial Hall. An informal potluck reception will follow, with those attending welcome to bring a favorite dish to share. As a special tribute to Norma. her sister Mona will be making Norma’s favorite – Pan-fried Chicken and Potato Salad to share!
