Fani Townsend Atkinson was born in Port Arthur, Texas on October 6, 1925 as the youngest daughter of the late Blaine Munroe Wullschleger and the late Iska Madeline Scroggins Shreve. Like her older sister, (the late) Helen McGuire Kennedy, San Antonio, Texas, she spent most of her childhood in a Catholic convent. Later, she went to live with her dad and step-mom Belva. It was Belva, "Shug", that showed her the importance of family. A lesson she carried throughout her life and tried to instill in her family as well.
Marrying at 18 to the late Pascol Judson Townsend, Jr., she moved to Drew, MS where she became the proud mother of the late Pascal Judson Townsend, III and her surviving son, William Blaine Townsend and wife Connie of Magnolia, MS. Later she married the late Buel Hankins. Making the phrase third time a charm true, she finally found her late husband Ralph Leigh Atkinson, with whom she was happily married until his passing.
With each marriage, her family grew in size. It mattered not to her that someone was not blood of her blood. She embraced everyone as if family creating the larger family she had always wanted as a child, but did not have.
She is also survived by her step-daughters, Syble Cherie A.(A. Henri) Burton, Tallahassee, FL and Janet Faye A. (Anthony) Santangelo, Brandon, stepson, Ralph Leigh (Kay) Atkinson Jr., Vicksburg; stepson, J.D. Hankins, Grenada; three granddaughters, Leslie T. Townsend and Tiffany T. (Bryant) Ward, Brandon; and Elizabeth Scheer (Jody) Blanchard, Houma, LA; and, two grandsons, Drake Miller Townsend, Brandon, and James "Cuda" Lee (Angelique) Scheer, Bourg, LA. Great-grandchildren are Evan Judson Townsend, Tate Miller Townsend, Madison Elise Land, Hunter Townsend Ward Brandon, Jonathan Luke Ward and Joshua Logan Ward, Meridian,; Andre, Cullen and Hayden Blanchard, Houma, LA; Drake and Abagail Scheer, Bourg, LA; Anthony Joseph Santangelo III, Brandon, Richard Daneel and John Henry Burton, Tallahassee, FL, and; and special friends, Ladye Margaret Townsend, Patsy Barclay, and Dee Dyer Townsend.
Fani spent her life as uniquely as her name sounds. She loved to travel. She was surprisingly into sports, especially the Mississippi State Bulldogs. She loved to be unconventional. The brighter the color, the more flamboyant and exciting the better! This was true whether decorating her home, the clothes or the jewelry she wore, even down to the bows on her Christmas packages.
She believed in dessert first. She loved children and pets, especially her dogs. She owned and ran a restaurant, an apartment complex, a cleaners, and rented out houses, and was even a private detective to name a few things that she did over the years. She enjoyed crossword puzzles and mysteries. She had a zest for life that was so contagious. Her inner strength was unwavering. She encouraged people to be like her and move forward refusing to be stagnant, always striving to have fun, be happy, and original. She once said "Do not be sad for those that are no longer here. Be grateful to have been blessed for the time with them at all and focus on that instead."
On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, she went to Heaven peacefully to now be a guardian angel for us one and all. Special thanks to Hospice Ministries. Please help honor her memory and strive to be unique like her.
Services on May 25, 2019, at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home, Flowood, with visitation 10-11, Funeral services there at 11a.m. and graveside services at Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City at 1:30pm presided over by Pastor Darren Miley.

Pallbearers are Drake Miller Townsend, Evan Judson Townsend, Tate Miller Townsend, Hunter Townsend Ward, Joshua Logan Ward, Jody Blanchard, Anthony Joseph Santangelo Jr.,Ralph Leigh Atkinson, and Eric Klein. Honorary Pallbearer is Jonathan Luke Ward.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to http://tridelta.stjude.org/FaniAtkinson or Mississippi Animal Rescue League