Maureen Janet Rollins

Maureen Janet Rollins (Mykowsky) passed away peacefully in Atlanta on December 16, 2020 surrounded by the wonderful presence of her family and dearest caregivers. She was 78 years old. A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Maureen was born in 1942 to parents John and Elizabeth Mykowsky (Sawchuck). She was as proud of her Canadian heritage as she was of having been naturalized as a U.S. citizen later in life. An adventurer at heart, she left the snow drifts of Winnipeg soon after high school and relocated to Los Angeles where she met her lifelong sweetheart, Howard. They settled in Atlanta in 1967 where she focused all her energies on corralling their two sons (born a short 11 months apart) while building an incredible set of lifelong friends.

Maureen and Howard loved to travel and built a life around these adventures, bringing smiles to friends and family alike with entertaining anecdotes from each experience. They made lifelong friends while living in London on two separate occasions and traveled extensively with family throughout Europe, Canada and Asia. Their favorite place was the valley of Grindelwald, a beautiful village in the heart of the Swiss Alps.

Family, friends and travel were not her only passions and in fact, she spent much of her life selflessly giving to others experiencing difficult circumstances. She volunteered countless hours to help the young and old alike. She was a regular volunteer at Egleston Children’s Hospital, spreading laughter, smiles and toys from the gift shop. Her unending compassion for others also led her to Wesley Woods in Atlanta where she had an amazing way of making those with dementia feel loved with her kind words and warm embrace. As she approached the end of her life, those that cared for her shared their thoughts about her unique and intangible “aura” that lit up the room.

She was an avid tennis player at Druid Hills Golf Club and off the court, served on several local boards including the Canadian Women’s Club and Theater Emory. In her spare time, she loved to laugh and sing (an attempt at opera to those fortunate enough to be listening). Often, she could be coaxed into a fit of laughter that became so intense, she would bring tears of joy to all those who were nearby. She loved life, her family, her friends and her faithful canine companions and will be dearly missed by all those she touched.

Maureen is survived by her husband and constant companion, Howard Alonzo Rollins, Jr., son John Douglas Rollins and wife Mandy; son Todd Howard Rollins and wife Shirley; and grandchildren Ashton, Parker, Ansley and Piper. She absolutely doted on her four lovely grandchildren and cherished the time she spent with them at the playground and at their sporting events.

A Celebration of Life will be held virtually on December 29, 2020 at 4:00 PM EST – with the link to the service shared via family and Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta, GA. There will be a private burial at Decatur Cemetery following in the New Year. The Rollins family have been members of Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church in Atlanta for over 40 years.

We would like to offer our deepest and heartfelt appreciation to the staff and friends from The Orchard Brookhaven and Kadan Homecare for their compassionate care of Maureen over the past few years and to Glenn Memorial for their support during these challenging times.

In lieu of flowers, you may make a donation in Maureen’s memory to:

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta www.CHOA.org/giving