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Justin M. Atkinson, 36, of Altoona, passed away Friday at UPMC Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, after a brief illness. Justin was born in Cleveland, Ohio, son of the late Mark B. Atkinson and Jeanne M. (Runk) Atkinson of New Paris.
In addition to his mother, he is survived by his brother, Mark "Brian" Atkinson; and fiancee, Anna M. Iszard.
Justin met his fiancee, Anna, online in 2018 and they quickly became friends, sharing multiple interests and hobbies and hanging out often. In July 2020, Anna was helping Justin move when they started dating. In August 2021, Justin and Anna moved to Hollidaysburg together, to be closer to his family. While visiting his mother on Christmas Eve of 2023, Justin proposed to Anna, and they bought their house in June 2024. The couple was planning on getting married in late 2027.
In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his paternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Atkinson; maternal grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Runk Jr.; uncles, Robert Wallace and Albert Fleck; and cousins, Angela Brumbaugh and Albert Fleck Jr.
Justin was a 2009 graduate of Neshaminy High School. He attended Millersville University, Bucks County Community College and DeVry University, where he earned a BS in software engineering and a minor in game and simulation programming. Justin did his internship at New Pig in Tipton.
In 2016, Justin took a software developer position at Revature in Reston, Va. He then accepted a position as a technology analyst at Infosys in 2017. Justin became a software engineer at Link Computer Corporation in Bellwood, after moving back to his home state in 2021. In 2023, Justin began working remotely at VSolvit, headquartered in Ventura, Calif., as a software engineer and quickly moved up to a Level 3 Engineer position.
He moved to Hollidaysburg in 2021 to be closer to his family. The love of his father inspired Justin to return to the outdoors. He found much joy in hunting and fishing with his dad, and got his very first buck in 2023 on his dad's property. Justin often reminisced about friends from his high school days, and still kept in touch with many of them throughout adulthood. He was an avid gamer, and frequently enjoyed playing the online multiplayer game Final Fantasy XIV, where he became part of a close friend group that communicated frequently. Justin cherished spending time with his cats, Carla and Emmy, and his mom's dog, Cody.
Justin was a wonderful man. His love for family and friends, and his ability to make everyone smile will always be remembered.
Friends will be received from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, at The Stevens Mortuary Inc., 1421 Eighth Ave., Altoona, where a funeral service will immediately follow at 2 p.m. in the Stevens Memorial Chapel.
In memory of Justin, memorial contributions can be made to support your local Breast Cancer Research; Autism Awareness; or Animal Shelter.
Condolences may be made at www.stevensfamilyfuneralhomes.com or Stevens Family Funeral Homes Facebook page.