Michael Atkins

Michael Douglas “Mike/Pop” Atkins passed away peacefully in Austin on October 8 after a brave battle with a long illness. He was surrounded by Barbara, his beloved wife of 53 years; his son, Mike Jr.; his daughter, Amber; and his granddog, Bennet. He was 77 and wearing a Permian Panthers T-shirt.

A rosary will be held at 7 p.m. on November 13, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. A funeral mass will take place at 10 a.m. on November 14, 2025, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Odessa, TX, followed by a celebration of life.

Mike was a cherished and respected member of the Odessa community. Born on January 23, 1948, in Oklahoma City, he moved with his family to Odessa in 1950. He graduated from Permian in 1966, where he ran track and was voted both Most Handsome and Most Dependable. He attended the University of Houston with the main goal of “meeting girls” (direct quote). At the beginning of his junior year, he got his wish when he saw Barbara across the room at his fraternity and fell instantly head over heels. Technically, his roommate Don met Barbara first, but Mike carefully devised a scheme to steal her from him. His antics succeeded, and while they often said they “fought for three years, then dated for one,” Mike and Barbara were married on August 4, 1972, celebrating their union at SPJST Lodge 88 in Houston. From that moment on, they were never apart for long. Barbara taught elementary school to support Mike as he finished his Juris Doctorate at South Texas College of Law; he attended night classes while working during the day. Additionally, he was a graduate of the Reserve Officers Training Corps and served as a lieutenant in the Army Reserves.

When his father, Herb, died at the age of 44, Mike—who had intended to stay in Houston—convinced Barbara to move with him back to Odessa to help support his mother, Diama, now a widow with three grown children but still raising two boys at home. Mike was always a hard worker; before landing his first legal position as an assistant to Ector County Attorney Bill McCoy, he worked an array of jobs ranging from record store clerk to orange-vest-wearing highway sign holder, freight dock worker, and boutique wig salesman.

In Odessa, he was elected County Attorney twice (in his first term, he served as the youngest ever elected). He then joined a law firm owned by Bayard McMahon, Bill Deaderick, and others. He was elected Mayor of Odessa twice, serving from 1996 to 2000. In 2001, he partnered with Jimmy Peacock to found Atkins and Peacock, a firm specializing in corporate law and litigation, contract negotiation, and transactional business practice. Eventually, Mike and Jimmy joined a new firm, Atkins, Hollman, Jones, Peacock, Lewis & Lyon, where Mike continued to practice until his retirement this past January. He was most proud of his work in school law; he represented ECISD since the mid-’80s as someone who deeply cared about the safety, well-being, and education of children. He also enjoyed mentoring Tatiana Dennis, who would eventually take over representing ECISD.

Over the course of his career, Mike held many leadership positions and received honors, including: President of the Ector County Bar Association; Member of the Board of Directors, State Bar of Texas; Member of the Board of Trustees of the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism; President and Campaign Chairman of United Way of Odessa; President of Odessa Industrial Development Corporation; Member of the Parish Council, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church; and Odessa Citizen of the Year, 1999.

Among his many attributes, Mike was a great friend, with many friendships spanning six decades or more, including childhood friends from Odessa whom he remained in touch with years after they moved away. One of his favorite ways to honor his friends was to serve as emcee at special events, especially roasts, where his sharp wit likely hurt some feelings while earning raucous laughter at the recipient’s expense—but it was all in good fun. He was an exceptional storyteller and prankster.

Mike was incredibly close to his family, including his siblings, their spouses, and all of Barbara’s siblings and spouses. He thought of Barbara’s family—and their extended family—as his own. He shared a special bond with his granddaughter, Katie, through their shared interest in track and the desire to practice law. It brought him great joy to watch Katie grow and follow in his footsteps. They enjoyed endless conversations across the years while feasting on dozens of doughnuts. Mike loved sharing stories of his youth with Katie and found immense joy in catching up with every last detail of her life.

As a father, Mike was firm but loving, supportive, and proud. He tended to save his praise for his children for other people (or even strangers), but luckily the stories usually found their way back to Mike Jr. and Amber. As young children, they often fought over the privilege of sitting in Mike’s lap; as adults, they are united in heartbreak over losing such a wonderful human being—a man who was their rock and guide for how to live a charitable, gracious, and extraordinary life while remaining deeply committed to family, especially the love of his life, Barbara.

It’s difficult to describe Mike without including his wife, Barbara, in the same breath. Their romance and life together transcended every definition of soulmates, best friends, and life partners. They enjoyed a beautiful life in Odessa, where they both volunteered and contributed to charitable causes close to their hearts. Longtime members of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Odessa, they were also inducted into the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem as Knight and Lady. When Barbara began showing signs of dementia a few years ago, Mike took her to every specialist he could, trying to find a cure. Until his dying breath, he was praying for the miracle that would bring her back to us, but he never stopped lighting up when she walked into the room, even on the days when she couldn’t quite remember who he was.

Until the end, Mike held onto his quick wit and sense of humor. During his recent stay in the hospital, when one of the staff asked, “What is something I should know about you?” he replied, without missing a beat, “That I am very handsome.”

He is survived by his wife, Barbara (B-One), currently residing in Austin (very close to Amber); his son, Mike Jr., wife Julie, and granddaughter Katie of Midland; and daughter Amber of Austin; as well as his brother Donnie and wife Barbara (B-also) of Granbury; sister Betty Carol Bradford of Fort Worth; brother Tommy Joe of Waco; and brother Billy and wife Myra (Mona) of Austin. He also leaves behind numerous in-laws, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Mike Jr. and Amber would like to extend sincere appreciation and love to everyone who has reached out over the course of Mike’s journey these past few months. Your love and admiration for our dad—as well as your steadfast support for us—has deeply touched our hearts.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations in Mike’s name to United Way of Odessa, West Texas Food Bank, Crisis Center of West Texas, or the Permian Basin Rehab Center. Truthfully, Mike would have hated having donations made in his name—while he had his cocky side, he was a humble man when it came to honors. But…too bad, Dad. We are taking over for you now. Rest well, and know we are taking care of Mom until she is ready to be reunited with you.