John B. Atkinson

Atkinson,DDS, John B. Dr. John Barfield Atkinson passed away peacefully on September 30 at his home, surrounded by his family. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He was born June 19, 1932 in Baton Rouge. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Brenda Meaux Atkinson; sons, John Barfield Atkinson, Jr. and wife, Kimberly Atkinson, of Orange, CA, Stephen Andrew Atkinson and wife Bissera Pentcheva of Palo Alto, CA; daughters, Dr. Kathleen Atkinson Crapanzano and husband, Dr. Michael Crapanzano, Margaret Atkinson Martin and husband William Martin, Elizabeth Atkinson Winchester and husband, Danny Winchester; and grandchildren, Lauren Crapanzano Jumonville and husband, Bentley Jumonville, Michael Crapanzano, Jr., Matthew Crapanzano, Sean Atkinson, Natalie Atkinson, Julia Atkinson, Maxwell Martin, Grace Martin, Olivia Atkinson, Katherine Winchester and John Winchester. He is also survived by his brother, D.R. Atkinson and wife, Jimmie Carol Atkinson, his sister-in-law Wanda Beth Atkinson, as well as numerous family members and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents Frank Schell Atkinson, Sr. and Marguerite Barfield Atkinson, his brother Frank Schell Atkinson, Jr. and nephew, Frank Schell Atkinson III, two nieces, Susan Atkinson Wells and Monique Meaux; and his in-laws Floyd and Ruth Meaux, of Lafayette, La. He served in the Dental Corps of the United States Army from 1956-58. He had a private dental practice and partnered with Dr. John Munson and Dr. Steven Brooksher. He was a consummate student and continued taking enrichment courses throughout his retirement. He was a firm believer in healthy living and exercised every day. He was a very modest man, who never made waves; however, he caused ripples to occur in the lives of every person he encountered throughout his life, which affected their lives immensely. He was a member of St. Aloysius Catholic Church and, previously at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. He graduated from Catholic High School in 1948 and then attended L.S.U. He received his DDS from Loyola Dental School. Honorary pallbearers are his five grandsons and Brother Eldon Crifasi, S.C., Albert Kidd, Dr. Steven Brooksher, Charles Jumonville, Tom Abel, Alfred E Roberts, Hampton, NH, and Harry Stille, Houston, TX. A Prayer Vigil will be held at Rabenhorst Funeral Home, 825 Government Street, on Friday, October 2 at 7 p.m. There will be visitation at St. Aloysius Church on Saturday, October 3 from 9:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., with the Rev. Tom Ranzino, officiating. The family wishes to thank all of those who were involved in his care; particularly Tina LeBlanc, Valerie Camper, Melissa Smith and Lisa Allen. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the ministry of your choice. His personal favorites were Hospice of Baton Rouge, the Cancer Society of Baton Rouge, the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.