Bangor great Cy Perkins dead at 84

Norman “Cy” Perkins, whose long and distinquished career included 28 years of service to the Bangor School Department, died Monday in Bangor. He was 84.

Perkins may be best remembered for his stints as head coach of football and track and field at Bangor High School.

However, his other service to the school system included physical education director at the high school, junior varsity basketball coach, and supervisor of elementary education in the city.

Among his many accomplishments were: originating the swimming program for Bangor schools; instituting a golf teaching program for city youth; promoting the advent of girls track in the state; and assisting in organizing the Maine Special Olympics.

For his many achievements as both a coach and athlete, Perkins, who retired in 1972, was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 1985.

Perkins was born in Sanford and graduated from Kennebunk High in 1925 and Kents Hill in 1926. He went on to fame at Colby College in Waterville as a weightman in track. His hammer throw of 158 feet, 10 1/2 inches, stood for 37 years, from 1932 until it was broken in 1969.

At Colby, Perkins was not only an athlete. He was also president of his class, president of the student council and president of his fraternity, Phi Delta Theta.

The smallest hammer thrower at almost every meet, the 170-pound Perkins narrowly missed qualifying for the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. He was barely behind the three qualifiers.

In later years, Colby would honor Perkins on a number of occaisions, including the Condon Medal as outstanding graduate; the Colby Brick, for service to the college; and the Colby “C” Club Man of the Year Award.

Perkins began his coaching career at Kennebunk High where his baseball record was 22-3 before he moved to his alma mater Colby for a 10-year hitch, including head track coach and trainer.

He moved to Bangor during World War II. For a time, he coached all varsity sports – football, basketball and baseball – because of the wartime shortage of faculty.

With a football coaching mark of 65-44-2 over 14 seasons, Perkins also chalked up wins in three seasons over teams crowned state champs following the season on a point system. He had only four losing seasons and had a streak of 41 straight games not being shut out.

Perkins was a founder of the Maine High School Coaches association and its first president in 1952.

Perkins was a master track official for many years and was also an avid golfer, having long-time memberships in the Maine State Golf Association, Bangor Golf Association and the Northern Maine Senior Golf Association.