Happy belated birthday to Gulfport notable Lum Atkinson! On Sunday, June 21, Lum celebrated his 94th birthday with a family-and-friends parade. His daughter, Cookie Cottrell, shared pics of the socially distanced celebration with folks in decorated cars, and even a fire engine.
If the name sounds familiar to you, that’s because Lum Atkinson’s local namesake is the Gulfport’s Little League field at Tomlinson Lake Park. Lum was a huge supporter of Little League in Gulfport, as Councilmember Christine Brown shared.
“The Little League field on Tangerine is named for Lum,” she told the Gabber. “He loved the sport and loved to teach and coach the sport. So many youngsters lives are better today because of their involvement in Little League and that is a direct result of Lum Atkinson.”
Brown, a family friend, was sorry to have missed the celebration, but added, “The parade was an awesome way to honor a hometown legend like Lum. Lum had such a positive impact on so many lives here in Gulfport. The blessings are too many to count. Lum, his late wife Mary and his family are a big part of the history of our great town.”
