|
|
Atkins was found with a gunshot wound after the sport utility vehicle he was driving ran off the road and hit a business sign on South Main Street near the on-ramp for westbound Business 40, Kernersville police said in a statement. Four people have been charged with first-degree murder in connection with Atkins' death, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Atkins was a standout service technician and mentor to others, according to Wayne’s World Termite and Pest Control Owner Wayne Frost, who served as Atkins’ supervisor while the two worked together at Pest-X, Kernersville, N.C. “He was the kind of technician that did what they were supposed to do; he went out of his way to help others learn pest control and learn the pest control industry,” said Frost. “He was also superb at thinking outside the box for solutions, and he just went that extra mile, getting on his hands and knees to find ant trails.”
Frost added that many of Atkins’ customers attended his funeral service, further testament to the relationships he built with them.
After leaving Pest-X, Atkins went to work for Wilson Pest Defense, Winston-Salem, N.C., in May 2007, where he continued to be a standout service provider. “He was a good all-around technician in terms of performing both termite and general pest control,” said Brian Grant, general manager of Wilson Pest Defense. “He was willing to do anything and everything, from helping others with their routes to helping educate them about pest control.”
Grant added that Atkins was named Wilson’s Employee of the Month for August.
Atkins is survived by wife Joy Medley Atkins; daughter Kathryne Atkins; son Joshua Atkins; his parents; sister Kathy Kirby and her husband Joe; nephew Richard and niece Leeann; brother and sister in-law; mother and father in-law; several nieces and nephews.
Online condolences may be sent to the Atkins family at www.Pierce-JeffersonFuneralService.com. In lieu of flowers, contributions should be sent to RBC Bank, Atkins Children Family Trust, 823 S. Main Street, Kernersville, NC, 27284.