Mr. Virgil T Atnip Jr., age 81, of Blossom, Texas, passed away peacefully at Baylor Heart Hospital in Plano, Tx on July 9, 2021. He was born March 19, 1940, at home, in Colbert, OK a son to V T Atnip Sr and Margarette Atnip. He proudly was one of eleven children and prided himself in his large family. Virgil Jr. Married his one and only love, Virginia, in Madill, OK, May 3, 1959. They enjoyed 60 years of marriage together while raising four children and many, many grandchildren.
Virgil Jr. Was a devoted and dedicated husband and father. He loved his family more than life and hard work was nothing he ever shied away from. He was a proud “Papa” to all of his grandchildren and loved all of his “babies”. He loved working cattle and riding horses, and it was said that he could break almost any horse in lightning speed. His memory was not to be questioned when it came to what calf belonged to what cow, and when they were born; it was ingrained in his memory forever.
Raising cattle was not his only passion in life as he was a man of many skills. Some of his passions included racing, welding, and a strong mind for mechanical skills for which he took pride in teaching his children and all his grandchildren as he knew his skill and knowledge would pass on for many generations to come. These were his passions, but his true love was the love for his wife Virginia and for his large family. He was a true family man and would do anything and everything for his large family. He was the cornerstone that the family leaned on and though he is not with us in person, his presence will always be felt because of the wonderful impact he placed on all our hearts.
In his early years, Virgil Jr. Helped his father by working on the dairy farms in the wee hours of the morning until well past dark. As he got older, he developed the trade of a highly skilled mechanic initially starting off working for his father-in-law. Being the tenacious and stubborn young man he was, Virgil Jr. knew he wanted to open his own garage and become self-employed, and he did just that. He took great pride in being able to fix almost anything placed in front of him and was the go-to man on just about anything you can think of.
Survivors include his daughter, Beverly Hodges, of Blossom, TX; three sons and their wives, Dewayne (Angie) Atnip of Blossom, TX, Randy (Gayle) Atnip of Cuthand, TX, and Kevin (Alicia) Atnip of Sheridan, AR.; 12 grandchildren, and 27 wonderful greatgrandchildren; four brothers TJ, Jerry Wayne, Robert, and Danny Atnip; and five sisters Ruthann, Melba, Brenda, Shirley and Debbie.
He is preceded in death by his loving wife Virginia Atnip, his parents Virgil Sr. and Margarette Atnip, his sister Lena O’Bryant, and son in law Jimmy Hodges.
Visitation will be held Monday, July 12, 2021, from 7:00-8:00 pm at Fry & Gibbs Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 am, Tuesday, July 13, 2021, at Fry & Gibbs Funeral Chapel with burial following at Knights of Honor, in Blossom, TX.
Pallbearers will be Derek Atnip, Jacob Atnip, Brock Lynch, Gabriel Lynch, Lane Mobley, Bryce Roberts, Zack McCoy, Mike Spray, Jeremy Ward, Craig Blackburn, Hank Blackburn, Brian Blackburn, Jason Mobley, Daniel McCoy, Zach Ward, Spencer Thomas, Britton Thomas, and Ben Thomas. Honorary Pallbearer is Ernie Shru.
Online condolences may be sent to the Atnip family at www.fry-gibbs.com
