Philip Newell Atkinson

Philip Newell Atkinson, 87, of Asheville, died Tuesday, January 31, 2017. A native of Asheville, he was a son of the late Edward and Nell Boaz Atkinson. He was also preceded in death by his son, Ned Atkinson. Mr. Atkinson attended Claxton School, Lee Edwards High School, and Baylor High School in Chattanooga, TN. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a member of the ATO Fraternity. Mr. Atkinson owned and operated a construction business for 67 years, working up until last Friday. He was a member First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, where he was an ordained elder and a member of the session. He was also a member of the Rotary Club of Asheville and he was on the Vestry of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Mobile, AL. Mr. Atkinson served in the U.S. Air Force during Korea. He loved hunting, fishing, and the mountains of NC and the Gulf Coast. Surviving are his wife, Thea Baumbauer Atkinson; daughter, Joy Blue and husband Chris of Greenville, SC; sons, Drew Atkinson of Asheville and Theo Atkinson and wife Ashley of Mobile, AL; and grandchildren Whitney, Joy, Drake, Hunter, Sage, Thea and Lyle. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday at First Presbyterian Church of Asheville, with Rev. Dr. Patrick Johnson officiating. Interment will follow at Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 40 Church St., Asheville, NC 28801, or to Camp Daniel Boone in Canton, 3647 Little East Fork Rd., Canton, NC 28716. Groce Funeral Home on Tunnel Rd. is assisting the family.