Obituary for Preston Adkins Atwood
Preston Adkins Atwood, of 229 Medway Street, Providence, died in his sleep at Bethany Home on December 27, 2021. Born in Providence in 1922, he was the son of Ernest Preston Brown and Ellen Adkins Atwood. He and his beloved wife Lois, who died in 2019, met in 1945 when he was stationed in her hometown of Macon, Ga. and were married for 72 years.
He was a graduate of Brown University (1944) and served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. He was a Senior Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch before his retirement in 1991, and had been in the investment business for 45 years.
Mr. Atwood was a communicant and former vestry member at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. An active hiker and yachtsman, he and Lois had travelled widely. He had been board member, race committee chair, and fleet captain at Edgewood Yacht Club. Mr. Atwood was an active member of The Players at Barker Playhouse since 1954, acting in 35 plays and serving as president of the club, and of the Barker Foundation. A life member of the Providence Art Club, he was awarded the Art Club Medal in 1994, and studied portraiture in Art Club classes. He was a playwright, and his Mr. Acorn was performed by the Players. He also wrote eight Art Club Christmas shows and acted in many others. He had served on the boards of Trinity Repertory Theater and Friends of Brown University Theater. A member of Save the Bay, the Audubon Society, and the Netopian Club he had also served on the board of the Bethany Home Foundation. Preston was friendly to and beloved by all. In his 99th year he wrote a memoir of his life.
He is survived by two sons, David A. Atwood {Nancy Reuschel) of Arlington, Va. and John B. Atwood (Beth Wald) of Natick, Mass.; and by grandchildren Paul, Judie and Jacob Atwood.
A memorial service will be held at St. Martin’s Church, 50 Orchard Avenue, Providence on Saturday, April 30 at 11 AM with reception to follow; the service also to be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eieaFj-yJFc In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Martin’s Church or to the Appalachian Mountain Club, 10 City Square, Charlestown, MA 02129.
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He was a graduate of Brown University (1944) and served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. He was a Senior Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch before his retirement in 1991, and had been in the investment business for 45 years.
Mr. Atwood was a communicant and former vestry member at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church. An active hiker and yachtsman, he and Lois had travelled widely. He had been board member, race committee chair, and fleet captain at Edgewood Yacht Club. Mr. Atwood was an active member of The Players at Barker Playhouse since 1954, acting in 35 plays and serving as president of the club, and of the Barker Foundation. A life member of the Providence Art Club, he was awarded the Art Club Medal in 1994, and studied portraiture in Art Club classes. He was a playwright, and his Mr. Acorn was performed by the Players. He also wrote eight Art Club Christmas shows and acted in many others. He had served on the boards of Trinity Repertory Theater and Friends of Brown University Theater. A member of Save the Bay, the Audubon Society, and the Netopian Club he had also served on the board of the Bethany Home Foundation. Preston was friendly to and beloved by all. In his 99th year he wrote a memoir of his life.
He is survived by two sons, David A. Atwood {Nancy Reuschel) of Arlington, Va. and John B. Atwood (Beth Wald) of Natick, Mass.; and by grandchildren Paul, Judie and Jacob Atwood.
A memorial service will be held at St. Martin’s Church, 50 Orchard Avenue, Providence on Saturday, April 30 at 11 AM with reception to follow; the service also to be livestreamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eieaFj-yJFc In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Martin’s Church or to the Appalachian Mountain Club, 10 City Square, Charlestown, MA 02129.
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