Will Perkins, a prominent local businessman who helped cement Colorado Springs’ reputation as an epicenter for evangelical Christianity, died Saturday at the age of 91.

Perkins, who ran Perkins Motors dealership for nearly three decades, was a renowned leader in the city’s religious community, working for and alongside Christian ministries such as Focus on the Family and The Navigators.

“He was a follower of Christ and wanted to share that with people,” said his son, Tom Perkins. “That’s what he hung his hat on.”

Will Perkins emerged as a controversial figure in the 1990s as chairman of the conservative nonprofit Colorado for Family Values, which crafted Colorado’s Amendment 2. The amendment changed the state constitution, banning laws protecting gays from discrimination based on their sexual orientation, until it was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1996.

“He was decisive when he needed to be, but he also understood the importance of lots of input,” said Kevin Tebedo, a co-founder of Colorado for Family Values who worked with Will Perkins advocating for Amendment 2.

State voters approved the measure in 1992, sparking a nationwide backlash from those who believed it legalized discrimination. Some activists dubbed Colorado a “hate state.”

Will Perkins and other supporters said they wanted to prevent gay people from receiving the same legal protected status awarded to women and racial minorities. Extending those protections to people based on their sexual orientation would “destroy the whole concept of minority status,” Perkins said in a 2008 letter to the editor that ran in The Gazette.

He later backed a constitutional amendment to prohibit the state from recognizing any union between same-sex couples.

But Tom Perkins said his father’s role as a leading voice for Amendment 2 was a small – and widely misunderstood – part of his legacy.

“He wasn’t against gays. It had nothing to do with that, but that’s how it got politicized,” Tom Perkins said. “If you look at what he spent life doing, it was ministry.”

Will Perkins was heavily involved in Focus on the Family’s move from California to Colorado Springs some 30 years ago, his son said.

“Colorado Springs has lost a great man, a loving family leader, an ethical business titan and a tremendous community builder,” Focus on the Family President Jim Daly said in a statement.

A graduate of Colorado College, Will Perkins ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Colorado Springs in 1999, losing to Mary Lou Makepeace.

He was an original board member for two local Christian groups, Young Life youth ministries and another organization that is now the Life Network.

“Although he only stood about 5’3″ Will Perkins was a giant in the Christian community in Colorado Springs,” said former state representative and conservative firebrand Gordon Klingenschmitt.

He was also “a legend” in Colorado’s car industry, said Tim Jackson, president and CEO of the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association.

Will Perkins was at the helm of Perkins Motors from 1958 to 1985, when his son took over. The dealership, which markets makes including Dodge and Chrysler, was started in 1944 by Will Perkins’ father. It’s now led by David Perkins, his grandson, and has about 170 employees. “As a neighbor, friend, and competitor, I always found Will Perkins to be a wonderful and compassionate man. He was very spiritual and witty,” said Jay Cimino, who heads Phil Long Dealerships. “Will was a man who connected and he did so with that wonderful, humble smile of his.”

In addition to leading the dealership, Perkins also served two stints as the president of the Chrysler National Dealer Council.

“He was very well respected by his peers, other leaders, not only in Colorado Springs but around the state and around the country,” Jackson said. “He was a family leader, a dealership leader and a community leader.”

Will Perkins died of natural causes.

“His warranty ran out,” Tom Perkins said. He added that, for his father, “death is not a scary thing.” Instead, it’s the next step in “what’s God got for us.”