Albert John Atkins Jr

John Atkins passed away Saturday, March 21, 2015, surrounded by his family. John was born in Las Vegas, NM to Albert John, Sr. and Mary Hayes Atkins. John enlisted in the US Navy and served in the South Pacific during World War II. After the war ended, John returned to Las Vegas, where he soon met and married Dora Arlene Marshall, a beautiful young nurse from Carthage, AR. They recently celebrated 68 years of marriage. John loved the cowboy life and worked for Gross Kelly Cattle Company as a young man. John attended Highlands University and later worked for Mountain Bell for many years, until his retirement in 1980. John and Dora moved their young family to Taos in 1962. John was a member of Bent Lodge #42 A.F. & A.M. John served the lodge in many roles, including Master in 1975 and again in 1987. John was a 33rd degree Mason and a member of the Scottish Rite, as well as a member of Ballut Abyad Shrine. Through his affiliation with the Masons, John joined the Board of the Taos Historical Museums in 1968. He served until he opted to leave the active board and serve in an ex-officio status from 2008 until his death. John always enjoyed working with the museums, particularly the Martinez Hacienda and Blumenschein Museum. In January of 2013, the Board honored John with the Blumenschein Museum Award for his contribution to the arts in the Taos community. John was an avid student of New Mexico history and both he and Dora were active members of the Taos Historical Society for many decades. John enthusiastically prospected for gold with his brother, Richard, in Nome, AK during the summers of 1993 and 1995. He was a lifelong fisherman in the streams of northern New Mexico and enjoyed hunting trips with friends and picnics with family in the mountains. More than anything, John was honored to be Papaw to his four grand-daughters and seven great-grandchildren. John is preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, James Best and Richard Atkins; his sister, Marianne Heasley; and daughter, Nancy Atkins Taylor. John is survived by his wife, Dora; his son, Jack and wife Deena; his daughters, Leah Combs, and Laura Crowe and husband Jay. John is also survived by grand-daughters, Meegan Taylor (Joe Maynard) and Shannon Barrett (Kyle) and their father, Peter Taylor, and grand-daughters, Jennifer Kinyak (Ted) and Jessica Atkins (Jeremy Fitts). In addition, John is survived by great-grandchildren, Jonas and Elijah Barrett, Courtney and Elliott Kinyak, Raecheleia Hayes, Zavian and Jeremy Fitts, Jr. John is survived by friends he loved like family, Rory and Karen Kenward and daughters Kylee and Lauren; his brothers-in-law, Chester Marshall (Carolyn), John Marshall, Bill Roberts; and sisters-in-law, Marjorie Atkins, Joy Bolin, Margaret Neal, Carolyn Starks (Ernest), and Marolyn Marshall, as well as many nieces and nephews, good friends and neighbors. The family extends its sincere gratitude to Deborah Waldman and the wonderful caregivers at Whitney House: TyRae, Annette, Reyna, Felicia, Demi, Amy, Tyonna and Gloria, and to Dr. Suzanne Pinon. John's life will be celebrated in a Memorial Service Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Bent Lodge #42, 124 Camino de Santiago, Taos, NM. A private burial will take place at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations in John's memory to The Taos Historical Museums, Shriner's Children's Hospitals, Ranchos de Taos Presbyterian Church or another charity of your choice.