John J. Atchinson, 83

John J. Atchinson, D.D.S. passed away peacefully on May 2, 2018. John was born in Ticonderoga, N.Y. on Jan. 7, 1935. He was preceded in death by his father, Glen Atchinson, and mother, Frances Atchinson. One of John’s favorite childhood memories was bullfrog hunting and frying the legs up.

John attended Marshall College in Huntington, W.Va., and graduated from the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery with a D.D.S with Honors. He served two years in the Air Force as a dentist at Selfridge Air Force Base in Michigan, and then a year’s internship at Denver General Hospital in Colorado. John also was an active reserve member in the Air Force for ten years.

John practiced dentistry in Whitefish for 53 years. He, along with several other professionals, built the Professional Arts Building at 4th and Baker. He received the Excellence in Dentistry Award from the Montana Dental Association in 2012. John was a member of the Montana Dental Association, the American Dental Association and the Montana Study Club. He was one of the founders of the on-call dental emergency program. He loved being a dentist and enjoyed his time chatting with his patients.

John was proud of his family and was a loving husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Fay Atchinson and his four children, Rick and Betsy Atchinson, Wade and Tatianna Atchinson, Kim and Todd Broome, Joy and Chadd Reddig, and his 10 grandchildren.

In his free time, you would find John in the great outdoors, hiking, skiing, sailing, fishing, hunting and working on the ranch with his many llamas. John will be remembered for his quick sense of humor, his kind heart and his desire to help those in need. He was always ready for a quick debate and a good story and sharing a good joke. He will be missed by all.

Condolences for the family may be submitted online on John’s webpage at www.austinfh.com

Austin Funeral & Cremation Services in Whitefish is caring for John’s family.