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Jack Atkinson
February 16, 1923 - February 11, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Jack Atkinson, native son of Claresholm, Alberta, passed away Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at the age of 91 years. <br />He is survived by his three children: Kristine Burt, of Calgary, AB; Larry, of Surrey, BC; and Celeste Rose, of Calgary, AB; seven grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; his niece Judy Jutras (nee Strang) and nephew George Strang. He was predeceased by his wife Esther.<br />John was born in Claresholm February 16, 1923 and attended school there, completing grade 12 in 1942. WWII was in progress, so he enlisted and spent the next forty three month in the United Kingdom, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland, returning to Canada to get discharged four days before his 23rd birthday. He then enrolled in a Junior Accountants Course so he could go into partnership with his father, Col. Earl Atkinson, who in 1949 became ill and retired where by John purchased his father&rsquo;s share and continued to run the insurance business until 1966. During this time, John also received training to prepare income tax returns through H&amp;R&#8200;Block working until 1982 in Calgary, Phoenix and in 1979 travelled to Sydney, Australia.<br />John farmed in the off season, selling the farm in 1982. He then worked on the Burke Creek Cattle Ranch off and on as needed from 1970 - 1988.<br />Being predeceased by his wife Esther in 1981, he disposed of all real estate holdings and went touring in motor homes for a number of years, ending up volunteering as a campground host for the US&#8200;Forest Service, Department of Agriculture in the state of Montana from May to September each summer for 12 years. He then worked for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management in Arizona from October to April until the year 2004. He spend three years until 2007 sitting in the sun in Birch Bay, Washington, just below the USA-Canada border near his son in Surrey, BC; just seven miles North of the border. He then decided to return home to his birthplace in Claresholm, where he entered the assisted living facility at Cottonwood Village, where he spent the remainder of his life.<br />John was a proud member of the Cairo Lodge No. 32 of the Masonic Fraternity, the Royal Order of the Elks in Stavely, and the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 264 in Calgary.<br /></div>