Bill Atkins

William “Bill” Harold Atkins passed away peacefully with his family by his side on December 17th, 2024 at the age of 93. He was a devoted and loving husband, father, and friend. Bill relocated to Hendersonville, TN in June 2020 but spent most of his life in West Virginia having maintained the “house on the hill” for 68 years in Rock Branch, West Virginia. He was preceded in death by the love of his life, Carol to whom he was married 65 years; his parents Macel and Alfred, sisters Jean Hartman, Josephine Spears, and Phyllis Marion; and brother Buck. 

Bill is survived by his daughter Natalie Hansen (Gordon), grandson William “Blake” Wheeler (Amanda) of Gallatin, TN; granddaughter Carly Fritts (Randy) of Plano, TX, sister June Hawley of Rock Branch, WV, and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Bill was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Nitro, WV and when he wasn’t visiting family in West Virginia he watched church services online every Sunday.

Bill was a machinist and retired from Republic Container Corporation in 1991 after 34 years of service. He was a United States Air Force veteran having served in California and 2-1/2 years in Nagoya, Japan during the Korean War.

He was a member of the Kanawha Valley Masonic Lodge #36 in Buffalo, West Virginia and was due to receive his 50-year membership pin in April 2025. He was a 320 Mason of the Scottish Rite and a member of the Beni Kedem Shrine, both in Charleston, West Virginia. He was a Honorary member of the Beech Masonic Lodge #240, Hendersonville, TN.

Bill enjoyed working on genealogy and would often greet new friends with inquiries to their birth place and parents’ names so that he could look into their ancestry for them. He actually opened up a few lost family connections over the years. Bill was a social butterfly. He never met a stranger. He greeted and spoke to everyone with great interest in getting to know them better. He was always working to keep connections intact, whether it was through Masonic brothers, retirees from the barrel plant, church, family reunions, or places that he had lived as a child. He was constantly checking his Facebook and Linked In pages.

His sense of humor remained in place until his passing and we will celebrate his life in two locations, the first being a visitation at Hendersonville Funeral Home on Saturday, December 21st from 3-5 pm and the second being held at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Nitro, WV on Monday, December 23rd, 2024, with visitation starting at 12:30pm and the service starting at 1:30 pm. Masonic burial will take place immediately following the service on Monday at Tyler Mountain Memory Gardens in Cross Lanes, WV. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children at Shriners Children's™ | Donate and Send Love to the rescue