John Marshall Atkins, 84, of Morgantown, passed away peacefully Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Houston, Texas.
John was born in 1941 in Charleston, to the late Harry and Ella Jean Atkins. He recalled first meeting his father in 1946 upon Chief Petty Officer Atkins’ return from the Pacific Theater of World War II.
In 1966 John met Margaret Elizabeth Freet in Morgantown, and they married in 1968. John adored Margaret through nearly 56 years of marriage and grieved Margaret’s passing in January 2024.
Leading an active life, John was an Eagle Scout and an avid golfer, runner, and hiker. He never missed the family’s annual hiking trip to the Adirondack Mountains, where he delighted in posing math problems to his grandson, as they hiked the region’s peaks.
John graduated from Charleston High School in Charleston, in 1959. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Marshall University in 1965, a Master of Arts in Mathematics from West Virginia University in 1967, a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh in 1973, and a Master of Arts in Computer Science from WVU in 1980.
John’s career as a professor spanned nearly 40 years, first in Mathematics at Bethany College, then in Computer Science at West Virginia University. He frequently received awards as outstanding professor at both Bethany and WVU, and he was inducted into numerous honorary and technical societies. For many years, he served as the WVU Computer Science department’s Graduate Coordinator, and he was closely involved in WVU’s Honors Program. After retiring from WVU in 2010, he was named Professor Emeritus and was inducted into the WVU Distinguished Alumni Academy in 2015.
John complemented his teaching with real-world experience, consulting as a database design expert for corporate and government clients, including ManTech International, the state of West Virginia, NASA and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy.
He loved military history and was an active member of Morgantown’s Civil War Roundtable. Throughout his life, he enjoyed walking Civil War battlefields. One summer he dedicated several weeks to retracing Stonewall Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley campaign.
His favorite pastime was relaxing with Margaret on their Grandview Avenue porch, visiting with neighbors and dogwalkers. Everyone enjoyed his upbeat conversation, quick wit, and contagious laugh. John was a proud West Virginian and a patriotic American, never failing to salute any U.S. flag he passed on walks around South Park.
John is survived by his son, Ben Atkins, daughter-in-law Amy, and grandson, Jack Atkins.
In addition to Margaret and his parents, John was predeceased by his brother, Harry Rodney Atkins of Indian Trail, N.C.
Services will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 27, at the WVU Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown.
