Donarose Atchison's Obituary
Donarose Atchison (née Kozikowski), 80, a cherished longtime resident of Merchantville, NJ, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2024. She was born in Trenton, NJ in June 1944, to Walter and Virginia Kozikowski. Donarose was the devoted wife of nearly 60 years to the late Joseph Atchison, Jr., who preceded her in death earlier this year. Dona’s family moved to the Pittsburgh, PA area when she was young and lived around the city until 1977. During that time, she met Joe at The Grove in Castle Shannon and knew he was “the one.” They were married in 1966 and she loved him greatly until her passing. They enjoyed traveling and going to the northeast in the Fall to see the foliage as the leaves turned.
She was the beloved mother of Joseph Atchison III (Mary Katherine) and Daniel Atchison (Tammy). Donarose was a proud and loving grandmother to Alaina, Haleigh, Katherine, Joseph IV, and Kira. She is also survived by her sister, Lorraine Reba, and her brother, Walt Kozikowski, Jr. Donarose will be deeply missed by her many nieces, nephews, neighbors, and friends, who remember her fondly for her kindness and warmth.
Dona was dedicated to helping support her family and worked for several companies through the years including Alcoa, General Electric and even a stint doing overnight shifts at McDonald’s when the family first moved back to New Jersey. She retired from Lockheed Martin and spent her retirement heaping love and education upon her grandchildren.
A gathering of friends and family will be held on Friday, September 13th, at Givnish of Cinnaminson, 1200 Route 130 North, from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, with her funeral service beginning at 11:30 AM. Burial will follow at Lakeview Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital at stjude.org.
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