John C. "J.C." Atkinson

John C. "JC" Atkinson, 82, of Eaton Township, passed away peacefully in his home Thursday evening, August 14, 2014, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Dayton, Tennessee and graduated from Rhea County High School where he played sports, his favorite being football. He served in the United States Navy during the Korean War on the U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard and the U.S.S. Frank Knox. He was an amateur boxer in the Navy and received medals/commendations for National Defense, United Nations, Korean Service and China Service. JC married the beautiful Margaret Edwards and together raised four children - Cathy, Cindy, Steve and Debbie. He worked for AT&T as a lineman in the south until the family moved to Cotati, California and lived there for five years before moving to North Ridgeville. JC worked as a chemical operator at B.F.Goodrich in Avon Lake until his retirement, and loved to do landscaping jobs on the side. JC was an avid aviation enthusiast. He took his pilot ground courses at Lorain County Community College where he received his Associate’s Degree and his pilot’s license. He loved to attend airshows and was a member of the Laser Aerial Combat Club. In 1993 he and Margaret moved to Dayton, Tennessee to his childhood home to take care of his mother. They built a beautiful home on the mountain with a grand view of Walden's Ridge nearby and Lookout Mountain in the far distance. They spent many happy years there boating on the Tennessee River. JC and Margaret moved back to Ohio to be close to their children for the remainder of their senior years. He enjoyed fishing, boating, flying, airshows, sports, gardening, writing poetry for Margaret and spending time with his beloved children, grandchildren and many great neighbors and friends. He was a member of the North Ridgeville American Legion and VFW. Survivors include his son, Stephen of North Ridgeville; daughter, Debbie (Clay) Pinter of Elyria; stepdaughters, Cathy Rogers of Birmingham, Ohio and Cindy Rogers-Carter of Nicholasville, Kentucky; grandchildren Danielle and Dana of Elyria; Lisa of Brunswick; Dana, Matthew, Debbie all of Kentucky and four great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret; parents, Elvia and Velma Atkinson; brother, James Atkinson and sister, Lila Cornelia Hughes. A private burial was held at Butternut Ridge Cemetery, Eaton Township, where the VFW held a military honor ceremony and the family played one of his favorite songs “Red River Valley”.

John C. "J.C." Atkinson

June 17, 1932 - August 14, 2014