Colonel Don Carlos Atkinson

Our beloved husband, father, brother, grandfather, great grandfather, great-great grandfather and friend, Don Carlos Atkinson, passed away at Fairfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Layton, Utah on Friday September 8th, 2023, just 11 days short of his 95th birthday.

He was born on September 19th 1928 in Logan, Utah to Fred C. and Della Schow Atkinson. Don was raised in Cherry Creek, a suburb of Franklin, Idaho, and in Grace, Idaho as well. He was the 3rd child of 6 children. After graduation from high school, he worked for his uncle Ernest Schow, helping to build houses during the housing boom after World War II. He joined the United States Air Force in 1950 at the age of 21 and served our country for 35 years, retiring in 1985. During his years in the Air Force, he rose through the ranks, eventually retiring as Colonel and Commander of the 405th Combat Logistics Support Squadron (CLSS). And he was General Copeland's private pilot. Don was also a senior pilot having flown over 4,000 hours in both piston and jet powered aircrafts. He served as an Instructor Pilot and Flight Examiner in 9 different aircrafts. In addition, he served in all areas of the aircraft maintenance field. After Don retired from the reserves, he continued to work as a civilian at HAFB as an airplane mechanic until 1993.

Don married Ardys Ann Andreasen on October 2nd 1962 in Elko, Nevada before moving to Bountiful, Utah. He was then stationed in Peoria, Illinois before moving to Ramstein, Germany. He later moved to Soda Springs, Idaho before being sent to Korea, where he was stationed for a year. In Soda Springs, Idaho, Don and Ardys restored an old building that had been in a fire, turning it into a fabric shop business called "The Spinning Wheel". A few years later, they sold their business and moved to Sacramento, California while being stationed at McClellan Air Force Base. They only stayed in Sacramento for a short while before moving to Roy, Utah. Don and Ardys moved to Layton, Utah in 1990, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

Don is survived by his wife, Ardys Atkinson, of 62 years of marriage; his children: Dawnita and Donald (Wendy) Atkinson; his step-children: Candice (Burke) Burns, Caron (Ed - deceased) Bowles, Jill (Neal) Larson; his step-daughter-in-law, Nancy (Craig - deceased) Lowe; his sisters: Margie Powers and Dorothy Baird; and his brother, Larry Atkinson. Don has 19 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, and 20 great-great-grandchildren.

Don is preceded in death by his parents, Fred C. and Della Schow Atkinson; his brothers: Stanley and Perry Atkinson, and his step-son, Craig Lowe, his son-in-law, Ed Bowles; and grandson, Craig Jr. 

Don had a huge heart and was well loved by his children and grandchildren. He will be remembered for his love of vegetable gardening and for growing the tallest and most beautiful tomatoes anyone has ever seen. He was an incredible oil painter and produced many gorgeous paintings during his stay in Germany. He was well known for his skill in the kitchen creating some of the best homemade food no one could resist. All the grandkids can attest to his delicious "chicken tenders"!! He had a great love of flying and never stopped talking about his years as a pilot, naming all the airplanes he flew with many fantastic tales. He even crash landed a plane safely after the landing gear failed to open. He could fix anything. He was the jack of all trades, and was never short on time to be a handyman for anyone who asked. He was well known for his love of Volkswagen Bugs, having owned them in Germany, Soda Springs, and Roy. And, most of all, he loved being a grandpa more than anything, and became known to all the kids in the neighborhood as "Grandpa." Kids would actually come over to his house and ask if grandpa could play.

We wish to express our deepest gratitude to Fairfield Rehabilitation and Nursing Home staff for their excellent care and compassionate nurses who made his stay more comfortable during his last days.

Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, September 19th (his birthday) at Myers Mortuary in Layton, 250 N. Fairfield Rd, at 11:00 a.m. A viewing will be held on Monday evening, September 18th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. and Tuesday morning from 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. before the funeral begins. The Interment will be at Syracuse Cemetery, 1250 S 1000 W, followed by a luncheon at the Oak Hills LDS Church in Layton, Utah. 

Memories and Condolences can be shared with the family at www.myers-mortuary.com.

For those not able to attend, funeral services will be recorded and posted here at a later date.

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