It was a family vacation nearly 30 years ago that would bring the Loomis family and UNH together. While bodysurfing in the Caribbean, Nathan Loomis ’08 was seriously injured. For his family — parents Jim and Anne and older brother Jeremy — one thing became clear: Although the accident was devastating, they would get through it together. It was an approach they had deployed regularly throughout their lives together, so to pull together in crisis was the obvious path.

Now, the close-knit clan and their friends and family are mourning the loss of patriarch Jim Loomis, who died on September 6, 2025, at the age of 75.

A devoted husband, father, grandfather, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Jim is known for his business success as co-founder of Bottomline Technologies. Around UNH, he was known as a passionate Northeast Passage supporter and proud dad of Nate, who played quad rugby while earning his English degree at UNH and who has been a staff member of Northeast Passage since 2013.

It was while at a medical facility during Nate’s recovery that Anne first learned about Northeast Passage. It felt like a lifeline: an organization equal to their determination to provide Nate with any opportunity he wanted to pursue.

Jim’s involvement with Northeast Passage went beyond financial contributions. He became the equipment manager for the wheelchair rugby team, maintaining gear but also mentoring staff and supporting the athletes at practices and tournaments.

After attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (where he met Anne, whom he married in 1971) and Babson College, Jim began his career with Nashua Corporation before co-founding Bottomline Technologies in 1989, which grew into a global leader in electronic payment systems. He stepped down in 2000 but served on the board of directors until 2016.

Jill Gravink ’86, founder and executive director of Northeast Passage, recently told New Hampshire Business Review, “Jim would see something we needed and act, like the time he showed up at our office with a cargo van to haul our adapted sports equipment. He said, ‘This followed me home. Do you want to keep it?’ This is just one of many amazing stories; he was truly one of the good guys.”

At a recent celebration of life for Jennifer Mitchell Perkins ’96, mourners were encouraged to include glitter, sparkle or rhinestones in their outfits — a shimmering theme, her family and friends say, that Jennifer would have loved.

Perkins — a fan of Taylor Swift and the Patriots, a strong believer in civil liberties and human rights, a proud mother and wife who could belt out the score of many a Broadway musical — died on August 21, 2025, after battling cancer. She was 51.

A political science major while at UNH, her obituary describes her as a lifelong Democrat, who always watched out for those most in need and delighted in a good protest.

She is survived by her husband, son, her parents and stepparents, her sister and stepsiblings and many other family and friends.

She had previously been a senior staff member for U.S. Congressman Paul Hodes and worked for many years at the New England Employee Benefits Company (NEEBCo) before starting work at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF), where she had most recently served as vice president for human resources and administration. In her final days, she wrote to NHCF staff, encouraging them to “keep up the good fight and keep taking care of those who need it most.

As recent NHCF President and CEO Richard Ober shared, “Jen brought incredible wisdom, humility, passion, kindness and a keen sense of fairness to everything she did. She shaped policies, practices and culture here that will be her legacy for years to come.”