J. Gary Atkins

Obituary James "Gary" Atkins, 72, of Ft. Collins, a notable musician and amateur radio operator, died in his home on Christmas night following a two-year battle with colon cancer. His wife of 43 years, Lorene, was by his side. Gary was born in New York, NY in 1940 to Jimmy and Wilma Atkins. The family moved to Denver, Colorado in the early 1950's, and Gary remained a Colorado resident the majority of his life. From Union County, Tennessee, the Atkins family counts among its member some of the finest musicians and showmen the world has ever known. During the war years, Jimmy Atkins, Gary's father, made his mark as the lead singer for the original Les Paul trio, and found fame as a coast-to-coast radio talent in the 1940's. Jimmy used his success to help his younger brother, Chet, finger-pick his way out of the Smoky Mountains to eventually become a cornerstone of the Nashville music scene. Gary was a guitar aficionado in his own right. He was a student of the transitional Jazz era and studied under the tutelage of the legendary Johnny Smith, a mentor he affectionately referred to as "the master." The world of elite Jazz guitar pickers is an esoteric fraternity, but among its members, Gary was well known. He occasionally took on students, but only those who demonstrated a willingness to dedicate themselves to the craft, and agreed to pay for his services in beer, preferably something with a hoppy nose, malty backbone and smooth finish. Though a musician at heart, Gary was an electronic and broadcast engineer by trade. Having nearly failed out of Wheat Ridge High School in the mid 1950's, Gary went on to retire as the Chief Engineer of Instructional Services at Colorado State University. In recognition of his mastery of the subject matter, and his life-long dedication to training radio waves to obey his commands, the University conferred upon Gary an honorary Master's Degree in Electronic Engineering, an honor rarely bestowed. Gary's fondness for manipulating the RF spectrum manifested itself in a nearly six-decade-long career as an amateur radio operator. As call sign W0CGR, Gary made documented two-way radio contact with nearly every country on earth using nothing more than a big antenna, a transceiver and a Morse Code key. Gary's partiality for Morse Code traced its root to the early 1960's when he was deployed to Viet Nam as part of President Kennedy's 10,000 troop escalation to work as a high-speed Morse intercept operator for the Army Security Agency. As with his ability to play guitar, Gary's virtuoso-like ability to push radio waves around the globe transcended the ordinary and resembled art more than science. Gary is survived by his wife Lorene, daughter Lynda, son Jay, sister Gale Ruster and five beautiful and creative grandchildren. His passing is mourned too by the same group of rowdy miscreants he had palled around with in high school. Down to a man they barely graduated, but sixty-years on they are artists and geniuses all. Gary will be interred at Fort Logan national Cemetery in Denver, Colorado where he will be buried with full military honors. A Celebration of Life Reception will be held at the CSU University Club at the Lory Student Center from 2 to 4 PM opn Sunday, April 21, 2013. In lieu of flowers, the family asks interested parties to make a donation in Gary's name to the CSU Library Foundation in care of Vessey Funeral Service, 2649 E. Mulberry Street, A-1, Fort Collins, CO 80524. It is with heavy hearts we say goodbye to Gary. But as the man himself would say as we walk towards a future a little less bright and certain, "hey pal, everything's gonna be alright." Read More Services You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or by planting a memorial tree in the memory of J. Gary Atkins