In Memory Of
William A. Adkins
1936
2018
William A. Adkins
June 24, 1936 — March 13, 2018
Our dear dad wrote this obituary. It brought a smile to our faces. We hope it brings a smile to yours!
William A. "Bill" Adkins, Jr. age 81, died March 13, 2018 as a result of a chronic illness. Bill was born June 24, 1936 to William A. and Edith (Hinkle) Adkins. He was a 1954 graduate of Highland Park High School where he was a multi-sport athlete. In January 1955, he joined the U.S.
Army and after training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he was assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland to work on a Radar Research and Development Project. He also played on the post football team, The Fort Meade Generals. After his honorable discharge in January 1957, he attended Washburn University and received a Bachelor's of Business Administration Degree in 1960. At Washburn, he was a member of Alpha Delta Fraternity where he served as Social Chairman and Rush Chairman. He was also a multi-year letterman on the Washburn Track Team.
On June 25, 1960, Bill married Geneva M. Benitz at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Atchison, Kansas. Geneva was a Registered Nurse and met him on a blind date arranged by one of the nurses when he was in the hospital for a minor operation. Bill took her to the Washburn Homecoming Dance at the old Meadow Acres Ballroom featuring Woody Herman. He also had his nurse friend arrange dates for a few of his Kansas State friends. It was arranged that all of the nurses could stay out late at the homes of several Washburn sorority girls. Unfortunately, Geneva and the other nurses all decided the men drank too much and were too rowdy and asked to be taken home at the 11:00 curfew at the nurses dormitory. It's funny that Geneva and Bill didn't hit it off well at first and didn't date again for a few months, but were married within a year. She preceded him in death on January 25, 2006 after a very happy 45 year marriage. Also preceding him in death were his parents, sister Beverly, and brothers Donald and Gary.
He is survived by two wonderful daughters, Sarah (Frank) Ebling of Overland Park, Kansas and Shelly (Mike) Smith of Saunderstown, Rhode Island and nine grandchildren: Reverend Katherine Ebling-Frazier and her husband, Reverend Andy Frazier, Bonner Springs, KS. Hannah Ebling-Artz and her husband, Reverend Parker Ebling-Artz, Bonner Springs, KS. Maddy Ebling, Overland Park, KS. Mariah, Quillyn, Michael, Mason, Gabby and Sadie Smith, Saunderstown, Rhode Island and great grandson Theo, Bonner Springs, KS.
The greatest joy in Bill's life was his family and he was close to them throughout his life. He frequently attended games, recitals and other activities of all the grandchildren when they were younger and closer to Topeka and he still attended High School plays or concerts that Maddy was involved in. He was affectionately referred to as "Guy" by all of his grandchildren that started when his oldest granddaughter, Katherine, couldn't say Grandpa.
On July 5, 1960, he was hired as a management trainee at the First National Bank of Topeka. He retired in 1994 as Executive Vice President at the successor bank, BANK IV Topeka. During his thirty- five year career he was very active in the community serving as an officer or board member of numerous nonprofit organizations such as the Girls Club, Junior Achievement, The Topeka Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army and the Jayhawk Council of The Boy Scouts of America.
For several years, he was an adjunct instructor at Washburn University teaching Credit Management and was a section leader and lecturer at the Graduate School of Banking at The University of Wisconsin, Madison for over twenty years. He also taught Principals of Banking, Installment Lending and Commercial Credit for the Topeka and Lawrence Chapters of The American Institute of Banking.
After retirement from the bank, he became a consultant with John M. Floyd & Associates assisting financial institutions with improving profitability and efficiency. He also developed and taught programs for United States Aid for International Development to teach lending to bankers, undergraduate, and graduate students at the KIMEP University formerly known as The Kazakhstan Institute of Management Economics and Strategic Studies in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a new independent state of the former USSR. In addition, he taught Risk Management to officers and employees of the Dairy Bank (the bank for forestry and fisheries) in Vladivostok, Russia.
He was an avid reader and enjoyed golf, camping, fishing and traveling, especially the NE and NW regions of the United States, Ireland, and Central Europe including Switzerland, England, Germany, Austria and Italy.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held on Saturday, March 17th at 1:00 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church or to Topeka Parks and Recreation for maintenance of Geneva's memorial at the Shunga Trail.
To leave a special message for Bill's family please visit the guestbook below.
William A. "Bill" Adkins, Jr. age 81, died March 13, 2018 as a result of a chronic illness. Bill was born June 24, 1936 to William A. and Edith (Hinkle) Adkins. He was a 1954 graduate of Highland Park High School where he was a multi-sport athlete. In January 1955, he joined the U.S.
Army and after training at Fort Bliss, Texas, he was assigned to Fort Meade, Maryland to work on a Radar Research and Development Project. He also played on the post football team, The Fort Meade Generals. After his honorable discharge in January 1957, he attended Washburn University and received a Bachelor's of Business Administration Degree in 1960. At Washburn, he was a member of Alpha Delta Fraternity where he served as Social Chairman and Rush Chairman. He was also a multi-year letterman on the Washburn Track Team.
On June 25, 1960, Bill married Geneva M. Benitz at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Atchison, Kansas. Geneva was a Registered Nurse and met him on a blind date arranged by one of the nurses when he was in the hospital for a minor operation. Bill took her to the Washburn Homecoming Dance at the old Meadow Acres Ballroom featuring Woody Herman. He also had his nurse friend arrange dates for a few of his Kansas State friends. It was arranged that all of the nurses could stay out late at the homes of several Washburn sorority girls. Unfortunately, Geneva and the other nurses all decided the men drank too much and were too rowdy and asked to be taken home at the 11:00 curfew at the nurses dormitory. It's funny that Geneva and Bill didn't hit it off well at first and didn't date again for a few months, but were married within a year. She preceded him in death on January 25, 2006 after a very happy 45 year marriage. Also preceding him in death were his parents, sister Beverly, and brothers Donald and Gary.
He is survived by two wonderful daughters, Sarah (Frank) Ebling of Overland Park, Kansas and Shelly (Mike) Smith of Saunderstown, Rhode Island and nine grandchildren: Reverend Katherine Ebling-Frazier and her husband, Reverend Andy Frazier, Bonner Springs, KS. Hannah Ebling-Artz and her husband, Reverend Parker Ebling-Artz, Bonner Springs, KS. Maddy Ebling, Overland Park, KS. Mariah, Quillyn, Michael, Mason, Gabby and Sadie Smith, Saunderstown, Rhode Island and great grandson Theo, Bonner Springs, KS.
The greatest joy in Bill's life was his family and he was close to them throughout his life. He frequently attended games, recitals and other activities of all the grandchildren when they were younger and closer to Topeka and he still attended High School plays or concerts that Maddy was involved in. He was affectionately referred to as "Guy" by all of his grandchildren that started when his oldest granddaughter, Katherine, couldn't say Grandpa.
On July 5, 1960, he was hired as a management trainee at the First National Bank of Topeka. He retired in 1994 as Executive Vice President at the successor bank, BANK IV Topeka. During his thirty- five year career he was very active in the community serving as an officer or board member of numerous nonprofit organizations such as the Girls Club, Junior Achievement, The Topeka Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army and the Jayhawk Council of The Boy Scouts of America.
For several years, he was an adjunct instructor at Washburn University teaching Credit Management and was a section leader and lecturer at the Graduate School of Banking at The University of Wisconsin, Madison for over twenty years. He also taught Principals of Banking, Installment Lending and Commercial Credit for the Topeka and Lawrence Chapters of The American Institute of Banking.
After retirement from the bank, he became a consultant with John M. Floyd & Associates assisting financial institutions with improving profitability and efficiency. He also developed and taught programs for United States Aid for International Development to teach lending to bankers, undergraduate, and graduate students at the KIMEP University formerly known as The Kazakhstan Institute of Management Economics and Strategic Studies in Almaty, Kazakhstan, a new independent state of the former USSR. In addition, he taught Risk Management to officers and employees of the Dairy Bank (the bank for forestry and fisheries) in Vladivostok, Russia.
He was an avid reader and enjoyed golf, camping, fishing and traveling, especially the NE and NW regions of the United States, Ireland, and Central Europe including Switzerland, England, Germany, Austria and Italy.
A celebration of Bill's life will be held on Saturday, March 17th at 1:00 p.m. at St. John's Lutheran Church.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's Lutheran Church or to Topeka Parks and Recreation for maintenance of Geneva's memorial at the Shunga Trail.
To leave a special message for Bill's family please visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of William A. Adkins, please visit our flower store.
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