Jerry Atkinson, 79

Jerry Atkinson, 79, of Des Moines, IA, beloved husband to Kathy (White), father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, August 17, 2022, at the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton, IA with burial in the Hillside Cemetery in Sheffield, IA. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton.

Jerry was born on March 4, 1943, at Lutheran Hospital in Hampton, IA to Richard and Velma (Kuns) Atkinson. He was raised in Sheffield, IA and graduated from Sheffield High School.  Jerry and Kathy just celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary in July and they shared such a special bond.  He loved her and his family and most of all spending time together.

Jerry began working as a salesman at Kinney’s shoes in Mason City and always joked that it was the hardest job he ever had. He changed directions to find his true passion and began his career in the insurance industry at the Inspection Bureau, then to Iowa Kemper and lastly retiring from Heritage Insurance, now Acuity.  Jerry’s prolific experience allowed Heritage to expand to the entire state of Iowa and as a result, Jerry had many great agent friends and stories.

Jerry loved sports - whether it was reliving his high school sports highlights, playing with the fast pitch softball team Butt’r Top or sitting at a fun bar with Kathy watching ballgames of his favorite teams including the Iowa State Cyclones, Wisconsin Badgers, Milwaukee Brewers and the Minnesota Vikings. Jerry also enjoyed golfing, fishing and going to weekly coffee with his buddies.  Another big highlight was getting out of the Iowa winter each year and going to Florida for two months to enjoy the warm sun, beach, and newfound snow-bird friends.

Jerry is survived by his wife Kathy, his children Rick (Kate), Scott, Sherri and Amy (Bryant), his sister, Judie Bey, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents Richard and Velma, and brother John.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to The Gary Sinise Foundation at www.garysinisefoundation.org/donate