“Rich and his wife Dorothy were always present at the Annual TMHA Conventions and you could almost always find Rich on the golf course during the TMHA golf tournaments. They were active members for over 30 years and very supportive of the Association and the industry as a whole. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Dorothy the entire Attkisson family during this very difficult time,” per the association’s release to the Daily Business News.
“Richard H. “Rich” Attkisson (aka “Big Daddy”) passed away on November 24th, 2017. Rich was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 8th, 1935 to John Attkisson and Eleanor Knittel Attkisson, the first of five children. The family moved to Elyria, Ohio, when he was young, where he grew up and graduated from Elyria High School in 1953,” per Caitlin Nauert, at the TMHA.
“He joined the U.S. Air Force soon thereafter and proudly served his country for 12 years when he decided to try his wings in civilian life. His first civilian job was with Associates Finance Company, and he was in some type of financing the remainder of his life,” Nauert said.
R.A. Financial was primarily a used manufactured home lender, said the TMHA. The Associates was a significant new home lender in manufactured housing before pulling out due to the post-1998 industry meltdown.
Beyond sports, the TMHA noted that “Rich was very active in his Church, the Cibolo St. Paul Evangelical Church. He served on the Church Council, was co-chairman on the annual free Community Christmas Breakfast, and served monthly on the Church’s “Outreach Project”, serving free meals to needy citizens in the community.”
“Rich is survived by his wife of 52 years, Dorothy “Dolly” Katt Attkisson; daughter Kristina Attkisson and son Richard, Jr., Arlington, Virginia; step-daughter and son-in-law Karen and Alfred Mitchell, San Antonio; step-son and daughter-in-law Keith and Joane Rylander Williams, Austin; four granddaughters: Alice “Ali” Attkisson, Virginia Beach, Virginia; Brooke A. Attkisson, South Carolina; Cara E. Attkisson, Fairfax, Virginia; and Kasey A. Johnson, San Antonio; sister and brother-in-law Eleanor and William “Bill” Parmenter; brother and sister-in-law Jack and Pam Attkisson; brother Robert “Bobby” Attkisson, all of Elyria, Ohio, and sister and brother-in-law Ruthann and Jim Nemeth, Wakeman, Ohio; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Sylvia and Robert “Bob” Seiler, San Antonio, and sister-in-law Viola “Bootsy” Norwood, Abilene; as well as numerous nieces and nephews in Ohio, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma,” wrote Nauert.
Rich is preceded in death by his parents and nephew William “Billy” Parmenter.
Visitation will be held at Sunset Funeral Home on Austin Highway, on Tuesday, November 28th. It will be from 6:00 to 800 P.M.
Funeral Services will be held at Cibolo St. Paul Evangelical Church, 108 South Main Street, Cibolo, at 10:00 A.M on Wednesday, November 29th. The memorial services will be conducted by Pastor Jason Ford and Rev. Chester Sassmann.
MHProNews extends its condolences to all those touched by the loss. May Rich Attkisson rest in peace. ## (Passages, obituary.)
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