Don Edward Adkins

Heaven has gained a wonderful fisherman, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, friend and a gentle soul. After a swift battle with cancer, Don returned to his heavenly father on July 18, 2017, his loving wife by his side. He will be greatly missed every second of every day, until we meet again! Don was born October 4, 1940 in Summersville, West Virginia to Dennis Adkins and Evia Gregory We are so thankful that we were blessed with this wonderful man in all of our lives. We will remember how his eyes sparkled and his big smile always on his face when he spoke about his family and his extended family. We loved his adventurous loving kind nature and how he lifted every ones spirits wherever he went. Don could find humor in everything and was seen by many as a major tease. He loved the outdoors, everything about nature, including all of god's creatures. Don had several passions; he loved to figure out how things worked. He had considerable training in mechanics and loved to tinker and do maintenance on his vehicles and boats. (We call it Don's fleet of vehicles). He loved to fish and was in his height of glory when teaching a child to fish especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Don was a champion sharp shooter during his military service and carried that talent into his love for trap shooting. He was well known and loved at several trap shooting clubs, including Utah and several other states. Don was a veteran of the Vietnam and Peacetime Era. He served first in the Marines and then in the Air Force from 1958 until retiring from the Military as a MSGT on Jul. 31, 1979. He worked for a private military contractor in Saudi Arabia until 1984 then went to work for Civil Service at the Defense Depot in Ogden Utah, where he retired in 1996. Don is survived by his wife, Colleen Heatherly, step children: Michael Blanchard, Kenneth Blanchard, Linda Olsen, Jill Goodliffe and Brett Blanchard, 18 grandchildren and 26 great grandchildren, whom he endearly called "the babies". Brothers: Larry Adkins, Melvin Adkins and sisters: Delores Williams, Linda Jenkins and Joyce Lester. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Vera Riffle, brothers Ronald and Clyde Adkins, and step daughter Debra Poole. A Celebration of Life will be held on August 26, 2017, location to be determined. For info email: acheatherly@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers please make donations to Uintah Care Center, Vernal Utah. The family would like to thank the care center personnel, especially the physical therapy team, for their kind services.