A son of Mississippi, Virgil Eugene Atkins passed over into the arms of his Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, September 12th, 2024 at the age of 89.  On February 12th, 1935 under a tree by the sharecropper shack where they lived in the middle of a cotton field, a pistol shot was the preplanned signal from his mother Jimmie Lee Neal Atkins to his father Virgil Douglas Atkins to leave the plow in the boss's field and ride the mule home to help as she went into labor and birthed there under the tree. He worked hard from a young age around 5, picking low growing cotton until he was old enough to pull a full tar bottom cotton sack, paper route plus all the regular chores of splitting wood, etc. He enjoyed living there with his parents, brother Royce, sisters Lillian and later Mary. He had perfect attendance 1-12 grade at Darling High School where he excelled at basketball leading to "highpoint" man and team captain. One summer he saved enough money to pay his own way to Camp Tallaha Boy Scout summer camp earning 1st Class Scout badge.

At 18 years of age after graduating in1953, he worked for the FBI in Washington, DC as a photographer. Proud to have saved enough in 6 months to buy a used '48 Ford like his brother Royce.  He graduated from The National Academy of Broadcasting in 1954. Drafted into the Army 1958 serving at Gelnhausen Germany with 3rd Armored Division, Spearhead in the Artillery Fire Direction Center but utilized his experience as a photographer for Stars and Stripes newspaper until being discharged in 1960.

He married Patricia Edna Chaplin (Glover) a widowed English war bride with 3 children (Kathleen, Keith, and Lorraine Glover) that he raised as his own. Later, a son, Larry Douglas Atkins was added to the family. Graduating with an accounting degree from N.W. Jr College in 1962 he began working for Humble Oil (Exxon). After further education at Memphis State University, he worked for Tenn. Dept of Revenue as a tax collector 1964-1973. After years of working part time at Roadway Truckline, he went full time in 1973 until his retirement in 1998. He tragically lost his wife Patricia in an accident in 1987.

After lonely grieving he re-met and married Mary Ann Hudson (Horn) in 1989, sister of his best Army buddy. Together they lived out thier dreams and accomplished many goals including international travel and becoming an author. Through their loving years they suffered the loss of Keith Glover, Joe Daniels and Cindy Daniels Slaughter, John Hudson Sr, John Hudson Jr, Lillian Atkins Drew, Mary Atkins Dover and many extended family members from blended families.

His heart was broken once again with the loss of his beloved wife Mary Ann in November of 2023. His health steadily declined until his passing. He is survived by Kathleen Glover Park, Lorraine Glover Cartwright Foster; his son, Larry Douglas Atkins; granddaughters, Tiana Slaughter Dodson, Sarah Atkins, Janice Atkins; grandson, James Alec Atkins and many grandchildren and great grandchildren, nephews, nieces and extended family.