Ford Atkinson
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 4A Death Notice - November 9, 2019
Ford Atkinson, 21, of Grand Junction, died Nov. 5, 2019. Service 11 a.m., Nov. 30, at First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27 1/2 Road, Grand Junction.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D Obituary - November 24, 2019
Ford Atkinson January 5, 1998 - November 4, 2019 Ford Atkinson was born into this world in Grand Junction, Colorado, on January 5, 1998, gifted to his mom and dad, Mary Hammond Atkinson and Clark Atkinson; older sister, Ellen; and soon to follow, his little brother, Isaac. From the start, Ford’s life was a miracle. On the verge of death at seven months of age, he was healed of a rare disease and cured of another ailment that would have required surgery had it not been for a mysterious cure, wrought by God. Though too short for us, Ford’s life was outsized for the time he was bound with us on this earth. His spirit will always be close to our hearts. Ford was an amazing writer, poet, and artist. At the age of three, on his own, he carved a stone bust of an Egyptian Pharaoh. He was good with a paintbrush and pencil, but his true gift was with “the pen”. He knew the impact of words, and his teachers and professors extolled him as a gifted writer. Ford was a deep thinker. He was a voracious reader and loved stories, history, and challenging convention. He had the ability to hold diametrically opposed thoughts in his head as he carefully thought about the different facets of things. Ford was a learner, and a naturalist. For a while, he wanted to live in the Amazon and study bugs, unspeakable crawly things, snakes and other creatures that made his dad uncomfortable. He delighted in shooting arrows and guns, sailing, playing his guitars for hours on end, and listening to music. His discipline led to earning the highest rank of Eagle Scout, and second degree black belt in Karate. In high school, a combination of weight training and gallons of peanut butter earned him All Conference designation as defensive nose guard on Palisade’s football team. He lettered in varsity football two years and in lacrosse three years in high school, and continued to play varsity lacrosse for three years in college. Ford found purpose in service. He volunteered at Child & Migrant Services and served as president of Interact, a service group sponsored by Rotary Club, which sent a water treatment system for an entire village to the Dominican Republic. He was involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and in college he built handicap ramps for the elderly on many Saturdays. While a college student, he was also committed every week as a big brother to a fatherless boy in the elementary school for two years. Ford impacted the lives of hundreds of teenagers and staff volunteering as a Facilitator at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership conferences over the course of three years. Teachers continue to coach hundreds of students using Ford’s writing as mentor pieces, since Ford was nine years of age. After graduating from the International Baccalaureate program at Palisade, with a 4.0, he accepted the Honors Scholar and Management Fellows Programs at college, joined the lacrosse team, and was on the Academic Deans list for four semesters. For those of us who knew Ford well, his mind seemed often elsewhere; in another world. He was a complex soul: thoughtful and reflective, sensitive and compassionate, smart and articulate, humble and witty, loyal and hard-working. Ford was all these things. Kind, caring and loving, Ford was too gentle to live among wolves. Ford moved from this world on November 4, 2019, and is survived by his sister, Ellen; brother, Isaac; mom and dad, Mary and Clark; 21 aunts and uncles; 33 cousins; Grandma Lynn, and a universe of friends. A Thanksgiving memorial service to celebrate Ford’s life will be held Saturday, November 30 at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 3940 27 1/2 Road. Fellowship lunch to follow. Ford made many of us better people by his thoughtfulness and sensitivity. For one so gifted with words, it was ironic that Ford would frequently say, “Words don’t matter; only actions matter.” To remember Ford in a way that matters, donations are being accepted by the Ford Atkinson Justice Fund, c/o Alpine Bank, 709 Horizon Drive, GJ, CO 81506. All proceeds will be administered by Vanguard, to registered 501c3 organizations that are committed to healing the wounds of economic, social and racial injustice.
