Mr. Robert Allen Atkinson, 61, passed away on February 16, 2021. Robert was born in Fukuoka, Japan. His mother, Mitsue, was a homemaker and his father, Robert Allan, was a cryptographer in the US Air Force.
From an early age, Robert traveled all over the world due to his father's military career, before the family settled in Maryland. Robert was an only child. Robert attended the University of Maryland on a baseball scholarship. He had a great passion for baseball and formula 1. He always said that he would have made a great formula 1 driver, if he didn't discover the hotel business first.
While in college, he was recruited into the General Manager trainee program by Omni Hotels. The rest was history. His career in hospitality spans over 40 years. He loved the hotel business and he loved talking to guests, almost as much as he loved mentoring his employees through their careers in his hotels; helping them succeed, grow and realize their potential in the hospitality industry.
He used to say: "Happy employees lead to happy guests."; He treated his employees as his own family and always took the time to talk to and know each and every one.
Robert had a selfless soul and was always there to help anyone in need. Mr. Atkinson didn't have any children, but he will forever be remembered by his DoubleTree Airport hotel family in Jacksonville, by his close friends Cristina Balan and Grant Walker and by his two adorable pets: Oliver and Fred, his dog and cat.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Arlington Park Funeral Home.