BOMBER MEMORIAL

JOHN CURTIS ADKINS ~ Class of 1962
March 2, 1944 - April 4, 2021











John Curtis Adkins was born in Wall, SD to Mabel Bernice Street Adkins and Robert Dale Adkins on March 2, 1944. He died at home on April 4, 2021, with his family by his side.

John moved with his family to Washington State when he was three months old to join his father who worked at the Hanford Project near Richland.

He was the youngest of four children. He attended Spalding Grade School, Sacajawea Grade School, Carmichael Junior High School, Chief Jo Junior High School and graduated with the Class of 1962 from Richland's Columbia High School. John attended Eastern Washington University before joining the U. S. Army.

John served in the Army from August 1965 to August 1968. He was assigned to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Riley, KS in January 1966 and was deployed to Southeast Asia in January 1967. He served one tour in Vietnam and was awarded a Bronze Star for Bravery. He left Vietnam quickly on the first day of the Tet Offensive as the jet shot almost straight up from the runway as explosives were landing beneath them leaving pock marks in the surface. He returned to Fort Riley where he met his wife, Mary.

On October 12, 1968, he was united in marriage to Mary Louise Atkinson. They made their home in Richland. To that union two children were born, Tony ('87) and Lori ('91). John and Mary celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on October 12, 2018, at a celebration provided by their children.

He worked at Hanford for 29 years and was medically retired in 1997 from Babcock Wilcox working in computer security.

John enjoyed cycling. He and Mary biked with the Tri City Bike Club, and he raced as an Amateur cyclist for a few years. He then began bagpiping and played with the Desert Thistle Pipes and Drums. One of his favorite activities was golfing which he played for many years. He had been an assistant golf pro while in high school at the West Richland Golf Course. John took up golf again after his military service and was a member of the Sham Na Pum Golf Course until it changed ownership and name. He spent the rest of his golfing years enjoying Horn Rapids Golf Course. He enjoyed working with Columbia High/Richland High Alumni creating and providing CD's, pictures and music for Alumni reunions plus his own Class of '62. He was a loyal and proud Bomber, always.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his grandparents; his brother, Leonard Adkins; his sister-in-law, Coralyn "Corky" Adkins; his sister-in-law, Sally Adkins; his brother-in-law, Jimmie Shipman ('51), who passed away February 22, 2011; a niece, Margie Adkins Vierra ('73 honorary); two nephews: Dale Adkins ('67), who passed away on March 29, 2019, and Steve Adkins ('73 honorary); and one grandnephew, Marcus Wiggins.

He is survived by his wife, Mary of 52 ½ years; his son, Tony Adkins ('87) (Judy) of Cary, NC; his daughter, Lori Adkins Thompson ('91) (John) of West Richland; sister, Roberta "Bert" Adkins Shipman ('52) of Clarkston, WA; and brother, Richard "Dick" Adkins ('56) of Houston, TX; step-grandson, Justin Mueller; grandsons: Brendan Adkins, Colin Adkins, Ryan Thompson and Matthew Thompson; and nieces and nephews: Jacki Shipman McKinney ('73) (Rick), Deana Belle Shipman Groth ('77) (Fred), Dawn Adkins (Anna), Greg Shipman (Terry), Charles Shipman ('71) and Marc Shipman plus many grandnieces and grandnephews.

If anyone wishes to make a donation in memory/honor of John you can send a donation by check to:

Inland Northwest Honor Flight
608 W. 2nd, Suite 309
Spokane, WA 99201-4430
509-624-0222

Include a note saying that it is in honor/memory of John Adkins. He was on the May 2018 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

If one wishes to donate by Debit or Credit card it can be done through Paypal at:

www.inwhonorflight.org

They say that they will send you a card acknowledging your contribution.

That flight was the highlight of John's life, and we would like to support it in his name.

A special thank you goes out to The Chaplaincy (Hospice) and to Smart Cremation for their support, help and caring. A Celebration of Life (Memorial) is planned at 44001 E. Austin Ct. in West Richland beginning at 1PM on June 19, 2021.



NOTE: His sister, Bert ('52), passed away on October 31, 2023.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).