MARYANNE MASAKO ATKISON
Sept. 7, 1956 – July 27, 2026
Maryanne Atkison died quietly in her home on Monday, July 27, 2026, after a long battle with breast cancer. She was born as Maryanne Masako Shiraishi at Komaki USAFB, Nagoya, Japan; her parents were Hisao Shiraishi and Sachiko Takeda Shiraishi. Her father worked for the U.S. civil service, helping reconstruct Japan after the war; her family was stationed at different air bases there. During her high school years, she played on the volleyball team and was an avid bowler. In her later years, she played golf. She attended college at the University of Hawaii and majored in biochemistry and nursing. After obtaining her degree as a registered nurse, she served in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, where she worked in pediatrics and neonatal ICU at Letterman Army Medical Center, San Francisco. She was active duty for eight years, then served in various other nursing capacities in Louisiana, Maryland, Kansas and Oregon. The last 23 years of her career she worked as the nurse and office manager at her husband’s allergy clinic in Sumter. Also, she was inducted into the Sigma Theta Tau National Honor Society of Nursing.
Upon retiring, she moved to Prosperity and joined Wightman Methodist Church; there she participated in Loaves and Fishes and Women of Wightman. She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling and camping. She learned how to sew and was known for her Hawaiian “crazy quilts.” Additionally, a favorite pastime, shared with her husband, was outlet shopping. Lastly, she enjoyed the time spent with her family.
She is survived by her husband of 42 years, Jim; two sons, J and Cam with their wives, Nicole and Courtney, respectively, as well as two grandsons, JMax and Isaac, and her dog, Lili-O.
A service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, 2026, at Wightman Methodist Church, 302 N. Main St., Prosperity, SC 29127. A visitation will be held one hour prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations be sent to the American Cancer Society, https://donate.cancer.org, or P.O. Box 6704 Hagerstown, MD 21741.
Whitaker Funeral Home is honored to serve the Atkison family.