Joseph David Atnip

1951 - 2015

Joseph (Joe) David Atnip of McKinney, TX, formerly of Sherman, died September 23, 2015, at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX following a lengthy and courageous battle with cancer.

Joe was born to R. L. and Zerma Lea Atnip on November 23, 1951. He graduated from Sherman High School in 1970 and attended Texas Tech University where he worked at Clay Poole & Associates Advertising in Lubbock. While growing up in Sherman, he was an active member of North Park Baptist Church and its Boy Scout Troop 6 where he earned the rank of Eagle Scout and Vigil in the Order of the Arrow.

After college he moved to Dallas and worked at KRLD in sales. He went on to earn his real estate brokers' license and worked in the family business, Atnip & Associates. While in Sherman he served as President of the Grayson County Board of Realtors. Later he moved to the Dallas area working in real estate and settling in McKinney, TX where he owned several real estate companies. During the last few years he worked as an independent associate with LegalShield.

On a personal level the family would like you to know that Joe showed his love and sacrifice for his family by donating one of his kidneys to his brother who has survived with the kidney for over 41 years. Besides being passionate about his family, Joe was passionate about his life-long friends, music, camping, scouting, and helping young boys develop into responsible and ethical young men through the scouting programs. He served as the scoutmaster for Troop 303 and was instrumental in the formation of Troop 909 where all 10 founding scouts earned the Eagle rank.

Another point of pride for Joe was that he had attended for over 40 years straight the Annual Kerrville Folk Music Festival. It was here that he met Shanna his wife whom he built a life with in McKinney and where they worked together raising their 20 year old son Conner . It was also at the Kerrville Festival where he continued to enjoy the friendship of life-long friends and their families. Even while he was struggling with his illness, he attended the last two festivals in 2014 and 2015.

Joe is survived by Shanna Atnip, his wife of 27 years; son, Conner Atnip a student at Texas Tech; sister, Kay (Tom) Carnes of Stuart, FL; and brother, Michael Atnip of Sherman. Also, surviving are cousins Mary Atnip of Pasadena, TX; Mary McCord of Garland, TX; Hugh and Gary Brown of Sherman, TX as well as many other cousins in Texas and Oklahoma.

Joe is also lovingly remembered by Shanna's family members including her parents Stanley and Jodeen Stephens of Sedona, AZ, siblings, nieces and nephews, and many loving aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at 6 p.m. at the Heard Museum in McKinney (1 Nature Place) TX 75069.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in Joe Atnip Boy Scout Memorial Scholarship in care of the McKinney Education Foundation, 510 Heard St., McKinney, Texas, 75069.