Atkinson Sr., William Bane

William Bane Atkinson Sr., 99, of Blacksburg, Va., died Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at Heritage Hall Health Care Center. He was born in McDowell, W.Va. on June 16, 1910, to the late Eugene and Lena Hoback Atkinson. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Claudine John Atkinson; two brothers, Ward Stanford Atkinson and Eugene Ford Atkinson; and stepson, Jack Ridinger.

Bane was a member of the Blacksburg United Methodist Church; attended elementary and high school in Shawsville, Va.; attended Roanoke College from 1928 to 1929; attended and was an instructor at the National Business College in Roanoke from 1930 to 1931; manager of Medical Arts Building in Roanoke from 1931 to 1939; employed at Hercules Powder Company in Radford, Va. and Minden, La. from 1940 to 1945; employed at Burlington Mills in Radford, Va. from 1945 to 1954 and he owned the Atkinson Insurance Agency in Blacksburg from 1954 to 1975. In 1962, he was appointed treasurer and later named executive director of the Blacksburg VPI Sanitation Authority from which he retired in 2002; he has two Rotary sponsored Endowed scholarships in his name at New River Community College; was past president of the Blacksburg Rotary Club and helped lead the initiation of other New River Valley Rotary Clubs.

He is survived by his wife, Margaret R. Atkinson, of Blacksburg; sons and daughters-in-law, Bane and Sue Atkinson, of Roanoke, and John M. and Debra Atkinson, of Manassas; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; two step daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy and Joe Bean, Lucy and Jerry King; stepdaughter-in-law, Judy Ridinger, and their families.

Funeral services will be conducted Saturday, June 20, 2009, at 11 a.m. in the Blacksburg United Methodist Church with the Rev. Reggie Tuck officiating. Interment will follow in the Westview Cemetery. Mr. Atkinson’s remains will lie in state an hour prior to the service. There will be no visitation. Arrangements by McCoy Funeral Home, Blacksburg.