William Mark Atkins

Mr. William "Mark" Atkins, 52, formerly of Mount Airy, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Winston-Salem on Sunday, September 27, 2009. Mark was born November 5, 1956, in Forsyth County, to Ed Atkins and Juanita Dix Davis. He was a member of the Metropolitan Community Church of Winston-Salem, where he will be greatly missed. Mark is survived by his father and step-mother, Ed and April Ashburn Atkins of Mount Airy; his mother and step-father, Juanita and Tommy "TD" Davis of Winston-Salem; his "adopted sister," Rita Willard; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. Mark also left behind his closest four-legged companion, Melo, who will miss his daddy. Mark was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Marlin and Annie Atkins; his maternal grandparents, Jim and Basco Dix; his step-maternal grandparents, Lugene and Peggy Ashburn; and his step-paternal grandparents, Gray and Sheila Davis. Mark had great accomplishments in his life. He was a 1975 graduate of Mount Airy High School. He went on to attend the North Carolina School of the Arts before moving to New York City in 1977. He appeared in an off Broadway production, "Dark of the Moon," then went on to appear in "Liars Moon." Mark then began appearing in commercials for General Electric, Certs, Country Tyme Lemonade, and Hersey Corp. He also made appearances on "Another World" and "One Life to Live." During his acting career, Mark became a member of the Screen Actors Guild. After a successful career in television, Mark moved back to North Carolina to start his own company. He was the current proud owner of "In the Cuff" Cufflinks which specialized in handcrafted custom cufflinks. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 PM Friday, October 2, 2009, at Moody Funeral Home Chapel in Mount Airy, conducted by the Rev. Ron LaRocque and the Rev. Joe Cobb. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made for Melo, in honor of Mark, c/o Ed Atkins, 1002 South Franklin Road, Mount Airy, NC 27030, or to a charity of the donor's choice.