By SHERRY DIGMON
News Publisher
Mark Elkins never held public office. He was not active in civic or social organizations. He didn’t receive any awards or commendations.
But for decades, he was one of the most well-known people in Atmore. When he retired, he was just shy of 40 years employment with the city of Atmore. Mark didn’t have a glamorous job – his job with the city was picking up trash. But he knew everybody, and everybody knew Mark. He didn’t meet a stranger.
Mark passed away Saturday, February 1, 2025. On Thursday, February 6, he would have celebrated his 69th birthday.
One of Mark’s gifts was an incredible memory for cars and cars tags. If he saw you driving a different car, he’d probably ask you about it. And how can anyone explain his memory for license plate numbers.
Mark was an avid University of Alabama football fan, and he loved his church, Atmore First United Methodist Church, where he helped with the Men’s Club fish fries through the years.
Mark worked for the city from May 1, 1978 to March 30, 2018.
Former Mayor Howard Shell (dec.) once said he wished he had a dozen Mark Elkins working for the city. He was dependable and responsible.
City Clerk Becca Smith said Monday, “Mark was the best worker the city ever had. He should have gotten some type of lifetime achievement award.”
Mark’s complete obituary was not available at press time but will be published in next week’s Atmore News.