L. Atkinson

L. Fay Atkinson, 75 died Monday at her home in Albany. Born January 7, 1936 in Waterloo, Oregon. She was the 6th child of Ray and Ethel Sherrill Woods. The family moved to Lobster Valley in 1945 and then to Alsea in 1948 where Fay graduated from High School in 1953. She met Keith “John” Atkinson during high school at a movie in the school gymnasium. She attended Eugene Beauty College on a full-tuition scholarship. Fay and John were married on August 1, 1954 at the First Methodist Church in Reno. She showed her entrepreneurial spirit and opened Fa-Jean’s Beauty Salon with Jean Hendrix Russell in 1962. Fay and John had four children: Diana, Karen, Tom and Tim. The family moved to Corvallis in 1967 and remained there until Fay and John moved to Albany in 2002. Fay continued working as a hairdresser until her retirement in 1990. She owned a salon, which she sold in 2007 due to declining health. Fay was active in the community as a member of the Altrusa Club, a philanthropic organization and as a member and officer for the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary. She and John were active members of their church, Lobster Valley Church of Christ. Fay loved watching her kids’ and grandkids’ sporting activities, and enjoyed traveling, clam digging, crabbing and fishing with John. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Ray, Austin, Ralph and Lorin Woods and her sister Floy Woods. Fay is survived by her beloved husband of 56 years, John; her children Diana Tyson of La Crescenta, CA, Karen Burch of Portland, Tom Atkinson of Albany, Tim Atkinson of Newberg; her grandchildren Ashley Shankle, Whitney Burch, Michelle Burch Woodard, Aaron and Danielle Tyson, Teija and Tiana Atkinson; great grandchildren Gabriel Bienhoff, Yasmin and Mikaela Woodard. A funeral service will be held at 1:30 pm Saturday, February 5th at McHenry Funeral Home in Corvallis. The casket will be open for one hour prior to the service. A committal will follow at Alsea Cemetery, and a potluck gathering will then be held at the Alsea Grange Hall. Memorial donations in Fay’s name may be directed to Lobster Valley Church of Christ, Odyssey Hospice or the American Legion Women’s Auxiliary in care of McHenry Funeral Home, 206 NW 5th St., Corvallis, OR 97330.

Tributes

L. Atkinson

January 7, 1936 - January 31, 2011