Marilyn Margaret Atkinson, born January 23, 1931, died May 7, 2024. She is survived by her sister, LaDonice Lambeth, children: Lou Zibton, Robert White, Ellen and son-in-law Ed Toliver, Laura White, Martin White and daughter-in-law Tammy, grandchildren: Jenna and husband Rob,  Kasey, Tommy, Riley, Holly, Kathryn, and Connor, and great grandchildren: Aiden, Lillian, and Liam. Born in Winter Haven, Florida to Marion and Cephas Atkinson, she graduated from Winter Haven High School in 1948 as salutatorian, from Florida State University in 1951 and received a Master's degree from the University of North Carolina in 1959. She was consecrated as a United Methodist Diaconal Minister in 1978 and ordained Deacon in 1997. She was a certified Laboratory Leader for the United Methodist Church for preschool, kindergarten and weekday school; certified Christian Educator; Academy Validator for National Association for the Education of Young Children and certified by the North Texas Conference in Human Sexuality for 5th and 6th graders. Always working with children, their parents and their teachers, she taught public school Kindergarten and Special Education primary grades, taught nursery school at Florida State University and Ohio Wesleyan University, was Director of the demonstration nursery school at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, Director of Child Development Program at Highland Park United Methodist Church, and part time instructor at Eastfield and El Centro Community Colleges in Administration of Programs for Children. For many years she served at Highland Park United Methodist Church as Director of Younger Children's Ministries. As a child care professional, she served on Child Care '76 Dallas Board, Child Advocacy Advisory Committee to the Dallas City Council, and Advisory Board of Eastfield College Child Development Program. She was elected President of Jefferson County, Florida Teachers Association, President of Dallas Association for the Education of Young Children and Secretary of Texas Association for the Education of Young Children. In 1988, she was honored as a nominee for the DAEYC Margaret Cone Award for outstanding service to young children. As a volunteer she served Hope Cottage as a foster mother for nine infants and through CASA was a court appointed special advocate for a child in foster care. For more than ten years she served CONTACT Telephone Ministries as a suicide prevention counselor, board member and trainer of counselors. She also volunteered at Parkland Hospital in Dallas as an on-call Minister, neighborhood watch volunteer, and a hospice volunteer. She was recognized at VNA Hospice for her volunteer work. She began the Care Committee at The Landon and was recognized for her volunteer efforts.  She was an active member of the Tuesday Knitting Group at HPUMC knitting hundreds of blankets and booties for babies until she became legally blind and could no longer knit. She then began making fleece blankets and lovies for anyone needing comfort and warmth. She made hundreds, possibly thousands of these which were distributed through Hope Supply Co., CPS and Austin Street Shelter. For thirty-five years, Marilyn was a member of the Wednesday Bible Study at HPUMC, and she participated in the Lake Highlands Military Moms.

 Memorial service will be held at Highland Park United Methodist Church at Cox Chapel (3300 Mockingbird Lane, Dallas ,Texas 75205) at 10 AM on Friday, May 24, 2024. For streaming information please go to HPUMC.org  (click on the tab at the top for her service). Streaming starts 5-10 minutes prior to service.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Hope Supply Co. at hopesupplyco.org or 10480 Shady Trail, Suite 104, Dallas, TX 75220, with "Memorial for Marilyn Atkinson" on the memo line.