Roy Allan Atkinson passed away at Lloydminster Hospital on Sunday, February 1, 2026 at the age of 80 years.

Roy is survived by: his wife, Vicki and her son, Steve (Ben); children, Lee (Shelly) Atkinson and Denise (Dean) Giesbrecht; grandchildren, Tanner (Kelseigh) Atkinson, Connor (Haily) Atkinson, Ryne (Kalaya) Atkinson, Vanessa Giesbrecht, Alexandria (Braden Stefanuk) Giesbrecht and Julia (Zach Kahn) Giesbrecht; great-grandaughter, Shoni Kahn; and numerous nieces, nephews, as well as the Hutchinson family.

Roy was predeceased by: his wife, Linda Atkinson; parents, Allan and Genevieve Atkinson; brother, Tim; sister, Brenda; and brothers-in-law, Dale Collins and Larry Ball. 

A Celebration of Life will be conducted from Legacy Centre, Lloydminster, Alberta on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM.

If you are unable to attend in person, you may view the live streaming of the service posted on McCaw Funeral Service website under Roy's obituary.

EULOGY

 Roy Thomas Atkinson was born March 12, 1945 at the Lloydminster Hospital to Allan and Genevieve Atkinson.

Dad was the first of three children for Allan and Gen and they were extremely excited to have their first baby. However, Roy was born with an infection that the doctors did not think would resolve. They told grandma and grandpa to prepare for the worst as they did not expect Dad to make it thru the night. However, they decided to try this new miracle drug called penicillin out on him. Obviously it worked and they’re able to take home a healthy baby boy. It sounds like from all the stories I heard from dad’s aunts and uncles and such that growing up that he was VERY healthy VERY active. From the stories I heard, right from the start had a great sense of humor. Along with a being bit on the mischievous side. Growing up he was active with friends and involved in sports. Football, hockey and especially baseball . Being a southpaw pitcher and a little large for his age didn’t hurt at all.

Dad started school in 1951 at, the then, brand new Winston Churchill school and then progressed up to the brand new junior high school, which is now the ES Laird school and then onto high school graduating in 1963. As you can see over at display of his sweaters and coat, he was fairly active in sports at high school . Grandma kept his report cards and you may be able to see that the sports seemed to supersede the studies. They seem fairly consistent. Average grades, always mentions that his grades could easily be much higher with a bit more effort. Great marks in Phys Ed worse in French you can see if you looks at the report card. Have a look. Check it out.

But sometimes something has to interest you in order to sharpen your focus. The interest was my future ‘mom’

During this time in high school, the grade 11 year, a new family arrived in Lloydminster from Texas and the one daughter named Linda happen to be in dad’s class. As fate would have it they sat in the same row. The teacher that year was an organizational stickler and class was seated alphabetically. Since A Atkinson and B ball for Linda Ball. They were seated next to each other. Amazing things happen with proper organization. Well, dad could not keep his eyes off this southern belle named Linda. He kept his charm offensive on until she started dating him. He seemed to have the MOJO as their relationship blossomed throughout high school. They eventually appeared to be inseparable and after graduating high school in 1963 ,Dad decided to follow her to university in Texas where he earned his accounting degree. Besides mom there were 2 other southern belles in that family. My aunt Barb, who married Dale Collins and stayed in Lloydminster area. Judy, who went back to Texas with the family later on and 2 brothers Larry who married Sandra Orbeck and stayed here also and Orville Owen who married Arlene and now live in BC. They all stayed tight with mom and dad. Later on Uncle Dale and Auntie Barb were the groomsmen/ maid of honour at their wedding. Since they weren’t yet married when they went to university. Dad roomed up with mom‘s brother Orville for a year until they Got married . Sounds like they had a good time from some of the stories we heard. In 1964 mom and dad were married here in Lloydminster . They returned to Texas and completed college in 1966. Right after graduation they moved to Edmonton as dad started a good job with General Motors. Things are good …young , new good job, lots of friends curling, snowmobiling( or motor tobogganing as it was then known)… AND a brand new Chevy SS …409 Cool, cooler than ice. (pause )

THEN I was born in 1967 my sister Denise in 1969……. GOOOODDDBBYYYE Chevy, SS and lot less time for motor tobogganing etc

Mom and dad were very family focused. Mom probably had more to do with it than Dad lol but we were tight family that did a lot together. Dad was gentle ,fun loving guy and they had many friends. He could get upset at time, like we all can, but never reacted in anger. I guess except one time when I was small. If anybody insulted mom… boy look out. I do remember a time we’re living in Row houses in Edmonton I was very young then and there’s a guy next-door. They’re kind of friends but he was bit of a loudmouth we he got drinking. They called him Al, big Al . He started on something about mom, and dad had enough, and I just remember him up and popping Big Al right in the snout. I was thinking wow my dad‘s tough! Bu…t I have to say that is the only time I ever saw dad react like that in anger. ……… Except maybe when us kids deserved some appropriately managed discipline.

Mom usually was the initial disciplinarian, which was ok cause her spanks didn’t really hurt. I remember eventually giving pretend cries just so she would stop. BUT, if it got to “Wait to your Dad gets home” level then you knew you were going to cry …and not a fake one. Can’t recall when got a spank that wasn’t deserved. Wait Denise, did you ever get a spanking from Dad??

Dad worked his way up the corporate ladder at General Motors . They just bought a new home in Sherwood Park in 1972 and shortly after got transferred to Calgary . 4 years later, Lethbridge where by 1975 he become the district manager for Chev/Oldsmobile and Chev trucks. He had a wide area of responsibility and had to travel a lot, but I never remember feeling he was away. He always seemed to be there for all of our activities and special events . We had great holidays. NOT extravagant but filled with GREAT memories. We camped in old army tent with tin boat on the ocean and beachcombed for a summer . Out on Cowichan bay in a 12 foot tinner with 9.5 horse johnson. Right amongst pod of killer whales and checked out by numerous seals. Bet the locals wondered how long those goofy stubble-jumpers would last camped out on the shore. WE dug for clams, trapped crabs, scavenged oysters and cooked it all on driftwood fires by the sea. Only thing we didn’t see was Bruno Gerusee. Heaven +. We drove to Texas a couple times to visit relatives and stopped and seen all the sites along the way. Yellowstone, custer last stand and every house made of bottles, petting zoo, etc. Of course dad splurged for a trip to Disneyland.

With dad‘s work travel, We often went along. Mostly when Dad went into British Columbia, where we’d get to stay in hotels that had heated pools and go to restaurants here and there. When dad went to his business meetings we would be splashing around the pool or going for a hike somewhere or having a picnic. I always remember these trips being great fun. I still enjoy having a picnics while travelling. My family have an inside joke about ‘wanting to stop and get some food for picnic, especially if there is a river nearby. I think the joke is that Dad wants ‘chicken by the river’ …Got that from grandpa! … DAD.

During this time in Lethbridge they decided to settle for a more permanent address instead of getting transferred every two or three years. So in 1979 they decided to cash out of GM and move back home to the busy oil town of Lloydminster. They bought the Eastwood trailer court and started along the path of landlords. Dad also worked at RJR Noyes as the lease manager, a position he kept there for a couple decades . A lot of good friends and memories from there.

Dad has always been a ‘hands-on’ person. My grand-parents said that Dad was always taking thing apart and putting them back together. This trait was very ‘handy’ in order to save some costs while maintaining the trailer court and other rental homes Mom and Dad acquired. He did most of the maintenance himself meaning the plumbing, some electrical, painting, minor carpentry and some pipefitting. He could do it all, or figure it out, via trial and error. Of course he needed an apprentice, and that usually meant me. Thru this I learned some of these maintenance skills, but most importantly we learned hard work, trusting yourself , and becoming self-reliant can really pay off. He allowed us to make mistakes, and learn from them. Not to be scared in trying . But this work also came with some hardships. I remember many times Dad being under trailer homes in the winter trying to get pipes fixed or unfrozen and come back with frozen fingertips He didnt complain, it was just something that had to get done.

Dad worked hard, they budgeted and were frugal and prided modesty. As kids we never went without. Maybe not the top end stuff but we always had the things we needed and then some.. Mom and Dad bought a boat and camper with each my sister and I having little little dirt bikes. With these we had fantastic holidays with our Family and friends camping all summer with Petrie‘s Plandowski‘s Dudding‘s and many others

Dad was also involved in community sports as well. Numerous years being a board member of the Lloyd minister minor hockey Association. He was also one of the original board members that brought junior A hockey to Lloydminster with the Lloydminster Lancers. Dad continued on as board member with the Lancer organization for 5 years. They took on role of billet manager, finding billet homes for the players. Not the easiest to find willing families and had at times up to 5 player staying at the house. Over the years, many great young adults came through their house and many many have still kept in touch. One, in particular, become very close to the family and managed to eventually become officially ‘part’ of the family. I think we know who that might be my brother-in-law Dean…. he met my sister while being a billet.

Dad love going to the lake. Camping and fishing. He especially enjoyed the fishing trips up north with his fishing buddies Dale Wilkinson, Gary Moore, Blair and Grant and a few others. The stories he came back were epic.

Dad was always proud of his grandchildren and their accomplishments and enjoyed attending their activities and games. He closely followed the girls gymnastics and the boys hockey/lacrosse. Specially enjoyed a trip to Saint Petersburg Russia to watch Lexi at world championships. Dean and Dad laughing at how interesting Russia became with a couple beers and bit of vodka. Dad also enjoyed a trip to New Brunswick for the Telus Cup with Ryne. He had so much fun with the parents one night that we had to untangle him from a coat rack that he got in a wrestling match with on our way home. Dad also revelled in his grandkids academic and career accomplishments. He always had them all on his minds and wanted nothing but the best for them and just wants them to be happy. When us Denise and I left home, mom and dad had a lot more time for themselves and they bought a camper and later motorhome. They toured it all over. Their big treat was to take the boat out to Sooke BC where they spend a month or two salmon fishing on the ocean. Always brought a pile of canned salmon back. To this day I cannot eat another salmon sandwich lol Later they would take the motorhome down to Yuma. They enjoyed it so much they bought a park model there and spent the winters in the in the warm sun. They were able to reconnect with, and spend some time with old friends there as well as make new ones. Mom’s health gradually failed and unfortunately, she passed away in 2007. This was devastating for him and although hiding it well, Dad was very lonely. With typical resilience he recovered and later reconnected with an old friend Vicki. After spending time together and enjoying each others company they decided to share their lives and in 2012 were married. They been together till dad‘s recent passing. They spent many winters in Yuma and had a few travels overseas to go to England and Spain to visit Vicki’s son Steven and partner Ben. Dad enjoyed these trips immensely and enjoyed telling stories of what they did and saw there. Over the years he enjoyed trips to Calgary to visit Vickis family and especially her brother David, who he had became quite close with. He also enjoyed his coffee group, great camaraderie while solving the worlds problems. 1-2 hours at a time.

My dad was a man who was kind, fair and enjoyed friends and a good laugh. He appreciated hard work, modesty, and self sufficiency to the point of stubbornness. WE will miss him greatly We will have an honorary place for him at all our family functions and Ramoli games. WHENEVER we have his favorite fried chicken, enchilada cassole, or roast beef w Yorkshire we will think of him . .

Thank you again for giving up your time to help celebrate and give tribute to the life of my father, Roy Atkinson. He was a great guy and deserves it.