Raymond Larry Atkins-age 76 of Maynardville passed away at home and entered his heavenly home Sunday, October 5, 2025. He was saved and baptized as a young boy and was a member of New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Luttrell.

Raymond was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother and uncle. He was a friend to all who knew him. Most of his adult life he was a man of large stature with an easy smile and a kind heart that was even larger than his physical appearance.

Raymond loved and appreciated the simple things in life. He especially enjoyed being outside, the warmth and beauty of a spring day, sitting on the porch, and watching the birds and squirrels play in the yard. He had a tender spot for animals, large and small.

As a young boy Raymond walked many miles up and down Bull Run Road with his buddies. He loved to tell how all the neighborhood ladies would feed him as he passed by and he never turned any of them down, even though he had eaten at every stop.

In Raymond’s young adult life, he loved to play softball. He played for many years and could hit a ball farther than anyone around. He would laugh and say that the best part of knocking one over the fence was so he could just jog around the bases.

Raymond worked in construction the majority of his adult life. He was a very talented, self-taught master carpenter. Even in his retired years he continued to build houses on a much smaller scale with a little round door and tiny porch for his feathered friends.

Of all the things in Raymond’s life that he loved and enjoyed there was nothing that filled his heart with pride and joy more than his family. Dad will be greatly missed but his legacy of love and kindness will live on through us, his beloved family because of the love and kindness he had for each of us. So, until we meet again, Dad, in your own words, “Bye sweetie, we love you!”

He is preceded in death by his parents, Clyde and Hester (Wyrick) Atkins; grandparents, Raymond and Paralee (Beeler) Atkins, Calday and Francis (Pierce) Wyrick; special niece, Beth Ann Holloway.

He is survived by his wife, Rebecca (Buck) Atkins; daughters, Anita (Wes) Effler, Patty (Tom) Beaudette; sons, Everett (Carmen) Atkins, Adam (Denise) Atkins; mothers of his children, Carolyn (Coppock) Hartline and Linny Atkins; grandchildren, April (Adam) Collins, Meagan (Chase) Quarles, Haley (Jordan) Ballew, Taylor (Justin) Blair, Caitlyn Brown, Callie (Logan) Sexton, Chloe (Aaron) Tipton, Rayce (Emilee) Brown; great grandchildren, Cole Burchell, Ethan Cooper, Taylor and Owen Collins, Harper and Hadley Quarles, Abram and Hank Ballew, Declan, Asher, Kaius, Jonah Blair, Adalyn Collins, Cash, Elliott, Natalie Sexton, Eden Tipton; siblings, Brenda (Emmett) Curl, Ronnie (Linda) Atkins, Janet (James Heiskell) Holloway.

The family will receive friends 4-7 P.M. Saturday, October 11, 2025, with the funeral service to follow at 7 P.M. Saturday, Cooke-Campbell Mortuary Chapel, Rev. Douglas Munsey and Rev. Robert Zavattieri officiating with music by his nephew, Stuart Wyrick. Interment 5 P.M. Sunday, October 12, 2025, at Sharp Cemetery, Luttrell. Family and friends will meet at 4 P.M. Sunday at the funeral home to go with the procession. Pallbearers: Everett Atkins, Erick Cannon, Adam Collins, Chase Quarles, Jordan Ballew, Logan Sexton, Justin Blair, Aaron Tipton, Rayce Brown, Adam Atkins. Honorary pallbearers: Ronnie Atkins, James Heiskell, Emmett Curl, Carson Tharp, Donnie Anderson, Cole Burchell. Arrangements by Cooke-Campbell Mortuary, Maynardville.