Eugene (Gene) Dale Atkinson, age 79, passed away on September 4, 2024, in Vero Beach, Florida.

Gene was born on October 2, 1944, in Birmingham, Alabama. He was the 1962 valedictorian of L. Frazier Banks High School and a standout athlete on the school's football and baseball teams. Upon graduation, Gene was admitted to the United States Military Academy, Class of 1966.

Gene's academic and sporting prowess continued there, with Gene's leadership as baseball captain, bringing the team to victory in two Eastern Conference championships. In 1966, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science with grades in the top ten percent of his class.

Ever-patriotic Gene enlisted for immediate duty at the height of the Vietnam War. His service resulted in the award of a Bronze Star for Outstanding Meritorious Service, as well as the Army Commendation Medal for Heroism for exceptionally courageous actions in the Vietnam Theatre. From 1969 to 1970, Gene served as Aide-de-Camp to The Commanding General in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Following 1970, Gene began his post-graduate education at Harvard Business School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Two years later, he obtained his Master of Business Administration degree, with the additional commendation of Distinguished Graduate. He then began his twenty-seven-year career at Goldman Sachs & Company in New York City, where he was soon after promoted to Vice President of its Tokyo office in 1976. Gene fully embraced the role of global investment banker, relocating his family to Tokyo and becoming fluent in Japanese. By 1979 Gene had established himself as the first Goldman Sachs partner in Asia and head of the Asia/Pacific region, and then served as the President of Goldman Sachs Japan from1986 to 1988. Under Gene's leadership, Goldman Sachs began equities trading in Tokyo, allowing around-the-clock coverage of major capital markets, and the firm was selected as one of the first six non-Japanese firms to join the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Due in large part to Gene, in 1991, Goldman Sachs became the first international securities company permitted to open a banking subsidiary in Japan.

In 1988, Gene and his family returned to New York City where he served as Chairman of Goldman Sachs International from 1988 until 1990. Following his retirement in 1999, Gene showed no signs of slowing down. He served as the Managing General Partner of Ripplewood Holdings, a private equity firm in New York City from 1999 to 2006, then from 1995 to 2011 he served as a board member of Foster Wheeler, and in 2005 Gene founded the New York-based Atkinson Capital LLC.

Perhaps Gene's biggest impact was the difference he made at his alma mater, West Point. Gene joined the West Point Association of Graduates ("AOG") and he taught classes on professional military ethics, which served to raise funds to endow the chair on Professional Military Ethics, thus opening up these teachings to the cadets.

As the 1966 baseball team captain, Gene was the natural choice to lead a fundraising effort for a new press box for the West Point team. The Atkinson Press Box at Doubleday Field was completed in 2011. Following this, Gene was inaugurated into The Grant Society, which put him among the 48,000 living West Point graduates in the top fifty of giving to the Academy.

When it came to community involvement, wherever Gene lived, he always found time to support charitable initiatives, including, among many others, the Asia Society (NYC), Tokyo American Club (Tokyo), Distinguished Lecturer Series (Vero Beach), 1035 5th Avenue Corporation - Finance Chairman Coop (NYC), The Learning Alliance, and the Riverside Theatre, Patron Producer (Vero Beach).

Gene was an avid golfer and was a member of the John's Island Club, Quail Valley, and RedStick in Vero Beach, Florida, Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, and The Union Club of The City Of New York. Gene loved sports and passionately cheered on the Alabama football team, often traveling to the biggest games of the year. Gene's focused, and at times, intense visage, could be cracked with an exclamation of "Roll-Tide" that would reveal a wide, gregarious smile. Gene spoke wistfully about one of his favorite memories: January 1, 1993, a day spent on the ski slopes with his boys followed by an evening watching Alabama upset the Miami Hurricanes in the Sugar Bowl for the National Championship.

Gene was predeceased by his parents, Thomas Eugene and Jewel Inez (Griffin) Atkinson. Surviving him is his wife, Susan Wylie Lovett of Vero Beach, Florida, and her three sons. Gene is also survived by Carol D. Atkinson, the mother of his two sons, son, Trevor G. Atkinson of Santa Monica, California, and son, Shawn E. Atkinson (Amy) and grandchildren Siena, Cameron, and Dixon of Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

Gene will be dearly remembered for living his life by the code instilled in him at West Point: Duty, Honor, Country. These were the pillars of his life and are reflected in his consistent adherence to those tenants coupled with those of leadership, purpose, and charity. He was known for his kind and generous heart, his deep affection for his family and friends, and was admired by many.

A memorial service and inurnment will be held at a future date to be determined, at the Old Cadet Chapel, United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.