James D. Perdue "Doug"

October 28, 2026, will be recorded as both the hardest and holiest day of my life and the life of our family. At 4:05 p.m., I held “Doug,” James Douglas Perdue, in my arms and watched him transition from my arms to the arms of Jesus, his Savior. As with everything else Doug did in this life, he navigated illness and death with immeasurable grace, love, strength, and wisdom. Doug’s never rushed study presence grounded our family. To know Doug was to love him. Our oldest son said recently, “if someone has a problem with Papa, they are the problem!”

Doug was born on February 28, 1943, to James Bolling Perdue and Elizabeth “Tootsie” Schenck Perdue of Matoaca, Virginia. Doug’s father was killed in WWII on November 11, 1944. His mother alongside his grandparents and extended family stood in the wide gap for his father helping to shape and mold Doug into the amazing man God created him to be.

Doug graduated from Thomas Dale High School in 1961, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1965. Doug was a salesman working for multiple Building suppliers until retirement in 2008, when he became a fulltime” Papa helping to raise each of his grandchildren. When he wasn’t chasing grandchildren, he could be found in a nursing home or hospital with one of his therapy dogs, helping a friend in need, or simply emerging himself in God’s beautiful creation.

Doug loved the simple things in life. While teaching his grandchildren to fish, he taught them patience. He had a gentle way of teaching life lessons without it being obvious. He loved fiercely and to become his family meant you were instantly family. Doug never had to use words to share his faith. He lived out his faith through countless sacrificial actions.

Doug was predeceased by both his parents, his first wife, Roberta Powell Perdue whom he deeply loved and over 20 cousins who were classified as siblings in his heart.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Andrea; his children, Robin, Lauren, Seth, Chase, and Wilson; his grandchildren, Savannah, Elijah, Charlotte, Dakota, and Owen; his extended family, friends and last, but not least his four-legged children, Journey, Halle, and Alvin.

Our loss is heaven’s gain.

A celebration of life will be held on 1:00 P.M., November 21, 2026, at New Life United Methodist Church, 900 Old Hundred Road, Midlothian, VA with a reception to follow.

If you would like to honor Doug’s memory: 1. Love fiercely and 2. Do the next right thing.

J. M. Wilkerson Funeral Establishment, Inc., 102 South Avenue, Petersburg, VA, (804) 732-8911, www.jmwikerson1874.com.