Dudley 'Gene' Eugene Atkinson

Dudley Eugene Atkinson, 86, succumbed to cancer at his home at Ridgeway in Dinwiddie County on April 26, 2020. He was born June 5, 1933 in Petersburg, son of the late Wallace Eugene and Pauline Hawkins Atkinson.
He is survived by his wife of 45 years Dr. Anne J. Atkinson and son Austin Brian Atkinson and his wife Betty Sweet and three grandchildren Anne Charles, Elzie Rhodes, and Wallace Bridges, all of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. He is also survived by his sister Nina Blaha, nephew Eric Blaha (Debbie), and niece Cindy Blaha, all of Dinwiddie County, and four great nieces.
Eugene was educated at Virginia Polytechnical Institute (VPI) where he was Regimental bugler in the Corps of Cadets and later at University of Richmond where he studied business and law. His years in military service began while a VPI cadet and continued for more than 40 years in the Virginia Army National Guard and United States Army Reserve. His entire military service was devoted to taking care of soldiers and ranged from foxhole counseling to legislative lobbying related to military and veteran’s issues. He held multiple offices including President of the Virginia Army Air National Guard Enlisted Association and the Central Virginia Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) of which he was a founding member. During his tenure on the AUSA National Advisory Board of Directors he was a strong advocate for the Army’s Reserve Components. He was particularly proud to have been Commander of the Richmond Light Infantry Blues, an organization established in 1789 whose rich history is interwoven with that of Richmond and of Virginia. In addition to life memberships in AUSA and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, he enjoyed his friendships with fellow members of the First Virginia Regiment Veterans and American Legion Post 260 in Keysville, Virginia.
Eugene was honored to serve on the Board of the Virginia War Memorial Education Foundation during the period that the Galanti Education Center was established and plans were laid for the most recent expansion of the Memorial. He was also honored to have served, since its inception, on the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Always involved with his community, while living in Richmond he served in multiple offices of the Southampton Citizens Association including President, was on the Board of the National Tobacco Festival where he was deeply involved with organizing the Festival’s Annual Grand Illumination Parade, and actively supported and advised a number of political candidates for various state offices.
Eugene’s well-known love of automobiles began after World War II while working at his family’s store, gas station, and tourist court on U.S. Route 1 in Dinwiddie County. Saving tips from “Yankee tourists” allowed him to buy a new car while still attending Petersburg High School. He founded Petersburg Motor Sports Club, engaged in Sports Car Club of America racing, managed and owned various automotive enterprises, and judged at classic car shows. He was particularly fond of British sports cars that he restored and collected. In addition to military and automotive careers, he worked in the insurance field, primarily in casualty claims, and continued to enjoy his association with colleagues through Blue Goose, a fraternal charitable organization in which he held state and international offices. An astute businessman, he was Vice President of PolicyWorks, Ltd. for the past 25 years.
As a deeply rooted Virginian who could not fathom why anyone would ever need to leave the great Commonwealth, his interests in history and historic preservation were reflected in numerous activities including his post-retirement work at Virginia Historical Society where he appreciated opportunities to meet and learn from those so knowledgeable and passionate about history and culture. In 2008, after more than 30 years in Richmond, he and his wife were drawn back to his hometown of Petersburg by a 200-year-old historic home. This began his very active involvement with promoting Petersburg including work with Historic Petersburg Foundation where he chaired the history committee and served two terms as President. In 2016, they moved to his beloved Ridgeway in Dinwiddie County – another 200-year-old historic home where he happily worked daily to maintain and add to the beauty of his old Virginia home.
Interment at Blandford Cemetery will be private. A gathering to share stories of our times with Eugene will be held at a later date. With his many years of military service, Eugene was an intensely strong advocate of building a museum to honor the achievements of the Virginia National Guard over its 400+ year history. He believed that this museum would remember and honor all Guard members, inform the public about its achievements, and be an invaluable recruiting tool. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Eugene’s name to support the construction of the Virginia National Guard Museum. Donations may be mailed to Virginia National Guard Management Group, VA NG Museum Fund, P.O. Box 37037, Richmond, VA 23234. Additional information may be requested from VAGuardGroup@gmail.com . Condolences may be registered at www.jtmorris.com