Keith Dingess Atlakson, age 92, of Atchison, Kansas, passed away peacefully on September 9, 2023, with his daughter by his side.
Graveside service will be Thursday, September 14, 2023, at 12:30 p.m. at Mt. Vernon Cemetery, where he and his wife, Dorothy, will be laid to rest together. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to Atchison YMCA, Atchison Recreation or NEK Hospice in care of the Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home. The family welcomes those joining them to wear K-State, AHS or BC attire.
Keith was born November 6, 1930, in Atchison, Kansas, the son of Oscar Atlakson and Inez (McCue) Atlakson. He attended public schools in Atchison, graduating from AHS in 1948; he continued his education at Kansas State University.
Keith joined the United States Air Force on January 9, 1951 until his honorable discharge on November 5, 1954. While serving active duty, he and Dorothy Riley were married on July 14, 1953, in Erding, Germany. They shared nearly seventy years together until her passing on February 20, 2022.
Keith taught printing at the Vo-Tech College in Atchison until his retirement in 1995. Along with his “real” job, he started Atchison Fire Extinguisher in 1978, his one of many side jobs! He enjoyed his work but he was truly a sports addict, playing tennis, winning numerous city league championships, rec league basketball, YMCA volleyball team, rec softball, racketball and walleyball champs many times at the YMCA. After he perfected all of the sports in his youth, he took up golf as a member of Pineview Country Club, where he shot a hole-in-one in 1998. He was an avid fan of K-State, Kansas City Chiefs, Kansas City Royals and Benedictine College.
He always stayed active in the community, serving as the YMCA Board President and President of the Atchison Youth Baseball Association. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church and served as a Deacon and Elder.
Left to carry on Keith’s legacy include his three children, his twins, Kevin Atlakson of Gladstone, MO, and Karen Atlakson Winney and her husband, Bob, of Overland Park, KS, and Mary Beth Atlakson Wohlgemuth and her husband, Kent, of Atchison, KS; six grandchildren, Sarah (Brandon) Johnson, Keith (Stacy) Wohlgemuth, Matt (Rachael) Wohlgemuth, Erin (Zach) Atlakson, Adam Winney , Andrew Winney; nine great grandchildren; a sister-in-law, Cheryl Riley; three nieces and five nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Dorothy; brother and sister-in-law, Earl (Dorothy) Atlakson; a granddaughter, Stephanie Bartlett Drennon; brother-in-law, Dr. Ken Riley and his first wife, Merry Gay; and sister-in-law, Mary Hochuli and husband, Sheldon.
