Gwendolyn Haile Batten Perkins OBITUARY A lifelong musician, Gwendolyn Batten Perkins, age 95, of Williamsburg, VA, died on August 5, 2024, after a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer. She is predeceased by her parents Caleb Batten and Shirley Barlow Batten, her siblings Othello, Caleb, Garland, and Jacqueline. She is survived by her husband Linwood Perkins, children Gwendolyn Perkins Martin (Michael) and John Batten Perkins (Lorraine) both of Williamsburg, grandchildren Laura Lane (Brad), John Martin (Margaret), Charlotte Stone (Matthew), Rachel Crawford (Josh), Rebecca Crockett, William Perkins (Emily) and 16 Great Grandchildren.
Gwen was born in Smithfield, VA on July 5, 1929, and raised on the family farm, the youngest of 5 children. After marriage she moved away but never forgot her Smithfield roots. She always exhibited the hard work ethic of her rural heritage.
She eventually acquired her home place and renovated the farmhouse. The beloved farm, named La Grange, became Gwen’s and Lin’s weekend getaway enabling visits by her large family and scores of friends for many years. Gwen loved music and theater and began with high school plays graduating from Smithfield High School in 1947.
She then entered the College of William & Mary to study Fine Arts with a concentration in music. While earning her B.A.
degree (1951), she was a dedicated member of the William & Mary Choir, often featured as a soloist. She was an active participant in the sorority Alpha Chi Omega. .