Leslie Ilene Atkins

Leslie Ilene Atkins, 63, of Fort Mill, SC and formerly of Gurnee, IL and Staten Island, NY, peacefully passed away Wednesday, August 23, 2023 surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her devoted and adoring husband of 34 years Gary Odell Atkins, her children Ronald Grey Atkins and Danielle Suzanne Atkins, her mother Ann Benson Wachter, her sister Wendy Reed, and her niece Jenna Wallace. She was preceded in death by her brother Daniel Wacther, her father Ronald Edward Wachter, and her sister Betsy Rose Wachter.

Leslie cared about people. As a Jewish woman and mother, she balanced fun and silly with serious and assertive. She loved food. She was never very hungry, but she always had to have a bite of what you were eating, “just a small taste,” because she was just so curious about what the people around her were eating. She was an expert in making funny faces, and she laughed harder than anyone else at her own jokes. She said that the ability to amuse oneself was a rare gift, and she was right. She was–by her own admission–nosy, always wanting to know what everyone around her was doing, but only because she was so invested in the people in her life.

She loved her husband Gary–her best friend, her partner, her other half–more than anything in the world, and she was never truly happy unless he was sitting by her side. She sang silly songs, old musical numbers that were new when her grandparents were young, mostly to her children Dani and Grey who will always remember half the words just as she did. She took amazing care of her mother Ann, speaking to her at least once a week and always making sure she had everything she needed.

Second only to Leslie’s devotion to her family was her work as a nurse and a hospital administrator. She began her career as an E.R. nurse and through her unwavering devotion to her patients and her coworkers, she was selected for promotion over and over again until she reached the position of Director of Nursing at Atrium Behavioral Health. She fiercely advocated for the dignity and wellbeing of those around her, both coworkers and patients, and was the driving force behind many reforms and advances in patient care. Her work in fighting against the stigma of mental health diagnoses and treatments have made the world a kinder, more understanding, and more compassionate place.

A memorial service will be held by the family.

The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to all of the nurses, physicians, and staff of the Levine Cancer Institute and the Levine and Dickson Hospice House at Southminster for their unwavering, compassionate, and supportive care. Your kindness will never be forgotten.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Muscular Dystrophy Association , to which Leslie donated every year in memory of her father and sister.