Thomas "Tom" Donnally Atkeson

On Wednesday March 20th, Thomas Donnally Atkeson passed away at home at the age of 70. He was born on August 22, 1948 in Decatur, Alabama to Thomas Zephaniah and Margaret Steagall Atkeson. In 1971 he married Beverly Matthews and they raised two daughters, Ellen and Susan. Tom received his Ph.D. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Georgia in 1983, after receiving his Bachelor’s degree at Auburn University in 1971. Tom dedicated much of his professional career to assessing, understanding and providing scientific evidence to guide policies in managing mercury in the environment. In 1984, he began work at the Florida Department of Health as an Environmental Epidemiologist and, because of widespread concerns about toxic metals in Florida’s lakes and rivers, he was instrumental in developing a monitoring plan to quantify the extent of the problem. His work was part of the catalyst that led to the Florida State Health Officer issuing advisories to limit the consumption of several fish species due to high levels of mercury, especially in the Florida Everglades. In 1992, Tom accepted a position as statewide Mercury Coordinator in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. His primary responsibility was to develop a comprehensive program of scientific research to examine local and global aspects of mercury pollution. As Coordinator Tom organized and oversaw a multi-agency research effort - the South Florida Mercury Science Program - a broad partnership of federal, state, and local government agencies, academic and private research institutions, and the electric power industry, which greatly advanced the understanding of the Everglades mercury problem. In this role, he helped plan and coordinate several large scale research projects, managed budgets well over a million dollars, made presentations at the state, federal and international level, and authored and co-authored reports, papers and book chapters. In his work at the Department of Health and later at the Department of Environmental Protection, Tom developed programs to unravel the complex nature of mercury pollution. He gained an international reputation for the scientific evidence he gathered on mercury as a pollutant and his work directly influenced the development and implementation of policies to limit mercury emissions in the state of Florida to protect the health of Floridians. Tom was a man of many interests and a true scholar. A respected scientist who was named Air Conservationist of the Year (2002) by the Florida Wildlife Federation, he also reveled in his abilities as a carpenter, a mechanic, and a general handyman as well as an occasional archaeologist and anthropologist. He was a woodsman, a lover of nature and an insatiable reader with a breadth of knowledge on many topics. Known for his optimism, positive energy and enthusiasm, he loved to share interesting and witty stories with all who would listen. But most of all, he was a family man. He was happy and relaxed in the bosom of his family, devoted to Beverly and their two girls. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Margaret and survived by his wife Beverly Atkeson, his children Ellen Atkeson ( Jeff Killingsworth) of Atlanta, Georgia and Susan Atkeson Rust (Ryan) of Naples, Florida, his sister Mary Atkeson Gibson (Tom) of Port St Joe, Florida, and nieces Margaret Gibson (Michael Gegenheimer)and Elizabeth Gibson. The family would especially like to thank Brenda Johnson, Stephanie Burch, Catherine Wright, and Big Bend Hospice for the compassionate care they provided. A memorial service and celebration of his life is planned for Saturday, March 30th from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Jubilee Cottage, Goodwood Museum and Gardens, 1600 Miccosukee Road, Tallahassee, Florida. Susie Mozolic of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. (www.bevisfh.com 850-385-2193)

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Thomas "Tom" Donnally Atkeson

August 22, 1948 - March 20, 2019