1953
Mark
2017
Mark B. Atkinson
December 11, 1953 — February 7, 2017
Mr. Mark B. Atkinson, 63, of Sandy Run Lane, New Paris, died Tuesday, February 7th, 2017 at his home.
Mr. Atkinson was born in Ellwood City, PA on December 11, 1953, the son of Bette (Ferris) Atkinson of New Paris and the late Donald Atkinson, Sr..
On August 6, 1982, he married Jeanne M. (Runk) Atkinson in Long Island, NY. In addition to his wife and mother he is survived by Son- Mark "Brian" Atkinson, Jr., Hatfield, PA; Son- Justin Matthew Atkinson, North Lake, TX; Sister- Judy wife of Roger Brownson, Lorraine, OH. in addition to his father, he was preceded in death by a brother, Donald Atkinson, Jr., a niece, Angela Brumbaugh and a nephew, Albert Paul Fleck. Jr
Mark was a 1971 graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City and received his bachelors degree in biology from Thiel College in Greenville. He attended Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Coos Bay, OR and received a masters of science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a masters degree in computer science.
In 1979, Mark began working in Prince Gallitzan as a park naturalist. When he moved to the Altoona Area, he met his future wife at the Backwall Racquetball Club. He then moved to Pittsburgh and worked at the Children's Hospital doing research involving fetal alcohol syndrome. He continued his research at the North Shore University on Long Island, NY, where he married the love of his life, Jeanne, in 1982.
In 1984, he took a position at the Cleveland Clinic with Dr. Anthony Breuer to do research in determining a link between cell transport and neurological disorders, concentrating on the properties of ALS. His team was moved to Wakeforest Bowman Gray in Winston Salem, NC. In 1997, Mark accepted a position at American Cyanamid in Princeton, NJ. He was then hired at Schering-Plough, which eventually became Merck, as a project manager. In 2013, Mark and his wife moved back to the area and he began to work at New Pig in Tipton. He retired as a project manager from New Pig in 2016.
Mark was a talented musician and enjoyed playing his guitar and singing. He was a member of the Bucks County Meet-up Group and a social member of the Pleasantville VFW Post #9219. He was an outdoorsman and loved to hunt and garden. Mark lived a life of continuing education, always thirsting to further his knowledge or learn a new skill set. He was an avid environmentalist and his dream was to someday live a life of self-sustainability and live off the grid.
Mark was an amazing man and his love for family and kindness to others will always be remembered.
A funeral service will be held at Louis Geisel Funeral Home, Bedford at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 11th, 2017.
Friends are invited to call on Saturday from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Geisel Funeral Home in Bedford.
Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Mark to your local chapter of the Breast Cancer Association or to Autism in your community.
Mr. Atkinson was born in Ellwood City, PA on December 11, 1953, the son of Bette (Ferris) Atkinson of New Paris and the late Donald Atkinson, Sr..
On August 6, 1982, he married Jeanne M. (Runk) Atkinson in Long Island, NY. In addition to his wife and mother he is survived by Son- Mark "Brian" Atkinson, Jr., Hatfield, PA; Son- Justin Matthew Atkinson, North Lake, TX; Sister- Judy wife of Roger Brownson, Lorraine, OH. in addition to his father, he was preceded in death by a brother, Donald Atkinson, Jr., a niece, Angela Brumbaugh and a nephew, Albert Paul Fleck. Jr
Mark was a 1971 graduate of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City and received his bachelors degree in biology from Thiel College in Greenville. He attended Oregon Institute of Marine Biology in Coos Bay, OR and received a masters of science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He also earned a masters degree in computer science.
In 1979, Mark began working in Prince Gallitzan as a park naturalist. When he moved to the Altoona Area, he met his future wife at the Backwall Racquetball Club. He then moved to Pittsburgh and worked at the Children's Hospital doing research involving fetal alcohol syndrome. He continued his research at the North Shore University on Long Island, NY, where he married the love of his life, Jeanne, in 1982.
In 1984, he took a position at the Cleveland Clinic with Dr. Anthony Breuer to do research in determining a link between cell transport and neurological disorders, concentrating on the properties of ALS. His team was moved to Wakeforest Bowman Gray in Winston Salem, NC. In 1997, Mark accepted a position at American Cyanamid in Princeton, NJ. He was then hired at Schering-Plough, which eventually became Merck, as a project manager. In 2013, Mark and his wife moved back to the area and he began to work at New Pig in Tipton. He retired as a project manager from New Pig in 2016.
Mark was a talented musician and enjoyed playing his guitar and singing. He was a member of the Bucks County Meet-up Group and a social member of the Pleasantville VFW Post #9219. He was an outdoorsman and loved to hunt and garden. Mark lived a life of continuing education, always thirsting to further his knowledge or learn a new skill set. He was an avid environmentalist and his dream was to someday live a life of self-sustainability and live off the grid.
Mark was an amazing man and his love for family and kindness to others will always be remembered.
A funeral service will be held at Louis Geisel Funeral Home, Bedford at 1:00 PM on Saturday, February 11th, 2017.
Friends are invited to call on Saturday from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM at the Geisel Funeral Home in Bedford.
Memorial contributions may be made in memory of Mark to your local chapter of the Breast Cancer Association or to Autism in your community.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Mark B. Atkinson, please visit our flower store.