Tony Yaksh

On July 9, 2015, Tony Yaksh of Buford GA went to be with the Lord at the age of 94. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Nell Atkins Yaksh. They were married for 70 years. He is survived by three sons and daughters-in-laws (Tony and Elizabeth, Michael and Marilyn and John and Susan), grandfather of 11 grandchildren (Kathleen , Michael Jr, Mary, Matthew, Martha, Mark, Mason, Mitchell, John, David, and Brian), and great grandfather to 18. Born to John and Mary Yaksh in Crowsnest, Pennsylvania, on 30 July, 1920, he was the third of 5 children (John, Helen, Francis and Joe). His father, a coal miner, who had immigrated from Serbia, moved the family to Milwaukee in the 1930's where father graduated from high school. He then attended Oshkosh State Teachers College on a pole vaulting scholarship, where he was editor for the school newspaper. He attended two years and then, motivated by the events in Europe and the Pacific, entered the US Army in 1942. Assigned to the US Army Air Corp, he entered bombardier training at Mathis Field in San Angelo Texas. Here he showed such high proficiency, skill and aptitude with the famous Norden bombsight that upon completion of training he was assigned to Training Command and Bombsight maintenance. His time in San Angelo proved to be particularly eventful, as it was where he met Nell Atkins, his future wife. Whether it was his handsome nature or the Harley Davidson motorcycle he drove, they were married on January 13th 1943, a love that endured until her recent passing. Shortly thereafter they moved to Walla Walla, Washington, and from thence he was shipped to Okinawa where he became base engineer and acquired the construction management skills that formed the basis of his career after leaving the Army in 1947. He always commented that a survey instrument was not unlike a bombsight. Working for AC Samford, Inc. in Albany, Georgia, as a construction superintendent, he and Nell and his three sons moved throughout the south, living in a trailer. In 1956, he moved his family to Madrid, Spain, where he was to be a representative for his company but took over and managed a highly successful joint venture to construct the fuel supply system for the United States Strategic Air Command bases in Spain. He returned to the US in 1959 and served as Vice President for AC Samford, Inc. in Albany. In 1964, he organized Inland Builders and eventually Ranger Construction Company in Atlanta, Georgia, which was a very successful construction firm that was ranked in the top 400 construction companies in the United States with projects throughout the east coast of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico. In1977, he and Nell moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a consultant on various construction projects there. After returning to the US, he retired from construction, moved to Buford Georgia, became an even more avid golfer at the Atlanta Athletic Club, and proceeded to construct a small industrial park and run the rental properties. He was ever the inveterate builder. He and Nell were always adding a stone wall here, a deck there, re-roofing the house, all by themselves. We all were amazed at what those two would accomplish between visits. He set an example and was a model for his sons on how a man should honor, respect, and love his wife. He and Nell left an enduring legacy of hard work, and high standards that will never be forgotten as long as they remain in the memories of his sons and their wives, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. We were fortunate to have them with us for so long and for the examples they set. Funeral Services will be held at A.S. Turner and Sons in Decatur GA, on Tuesday July 21, at 11:30 AM with Pastor John Baker officiating.

Funeral Home:
A.S. Turner
2773 N. Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033