LAURA ANNE KNIGHT ATKINS passed away from leukemia on 6 April 2021 with her husband, Jesse, by her side and holding her hand. Laura is also survived by her children (Kathleen in Germany, Christopher in NYC) and two grandchildren (Carl and Oscar living in Germany). Laura was educated as a petroleum engineer at Tulane University (Bachelor's) and later received (Master's) at Harvard University. Laura met her husband when they both worked for OPEC in Belgium.
LAURA KNIGHT ATKINS was a real sweetheart and a dear friend to many. I will let Laura tell you more about her life in her own words:
"I applied myself in school at RHS but when I went to NMSU after graduation I decided I would rather party than study. This was not a recipe for success in engineering and I ended dropping out after 2.5 years. My father was transferred to Guam before the end of my first semester at NMSU and my entire family left Roswell. This left me at loose ends, especially during school holidays, but fortunately I had several good friends who took me in. I was able to make three trips to Guam, which I found fascinating. This was the beginning of my love for travel. I finally got serious about finishing my degree after my daughter was born and was able to finish up at Tulane."
"I graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University in 1976, and went to work as a petroleum engineer for Amoco in Lafayette and then New Orleans, LA. In 1980 when my son was 5 months old, my former husband and I went to work for ARCO in Anchorage Alaska. We lived there for ten years, and both worked on the two giant North Slope oil fields. Later I worked on the international side of the business and traveled frequently to the Middle East, India, Ecuador, and China. I also lived in Venezuela and then Dubai, where Jesse and I lived when we were first married. In 2000 I left the oil industry and went to graduate school at the Harvard Kennedy School. After that I worked for OPEC in Vienna Austria for three years while Jesse worked in Cairo. Jesse and I moved to Buenos Aires in late 2006 where we stayed nearly four years before moving to Houston in 2010. While in Buenos Aires we were fortunate to see classmates Laurie Shuey, Pam Liston and Judi Adams. We also saw Lynn Waller and Larry Washam in Cairo."
I am heartbroken and devastated to hear of Laura's death. We had recently talked and we're planning a visit in September. My heart goes out to the love of her life, Jesse. What a wonderful man.
Fred and I will remember our good times together with the two of you. We will play your favorite group, Dire Straights, under the stars tonight and toast to her wonderful spirit and beautiful mind. 💫🍹💖
God bless, Jesse.
Laura Knight Atkins, grandmother of Carl and Oscar Streifeneder, mother of Kathleen Feagin Streifeneder and Christopher Eugene Blacker, and wife of Jesse Atkins, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, April 6, 2021, in Santa Fe, at the age of 72. Laura was an optimist, believing that things could be better. She was a doer, taking action to make things better. She had a lifelong curiosity about the world around her, an untiring sense of adventure, and a profound love of the outdoors. She had the courage of her convictions: in the face of adversity she would dig in and most often overcome. Her strengths of character were many, and they ran deep: boundlessly energetic, fearless, honest, straightforward, determined, poised, unpretentious, approachable, compassionate, and fiercely devoted to her children and grandchildren. Laura made the most of the life that was given to her. After graduating from Roswell High School, she attended New Mexico State University for a time and ultimately graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1976. She was a trailblazer at a time when there were very few women in the engineering field, launching a successful professional career that spanned more that two decades and took her everywhere in the world–Alaska, Texas, China, India, Venezuela, Dubai. During the course of her career she also raised daughter Kathleen and brought into the world and raised son Christopher. New challenges always beckoned to Laura. When her working career came to a close, Laura decided to reinvent herself as "something other than an engineer." With that aim in mind, she enrolled in the mid-career program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2001 with a master's degree in Public Administration. That achievement opened new horizons. Laura found a unique opportunity and signed on for a 3-year stint with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC) in Vienna. Vienna was her kind of town: beautiful setting, overflowing with all kinds of music . . . and close to some good hiking and skiing. And then it was on to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she became an independent energy consultant, advising US-based companies. The consulting business was intensive, but Laura still found time to tour Argentina from top to bottom and take in a tango lesson or two. In 2010, it was back to Texas, this time Houston. There she worked for an energy publishing and consulting outfit, until retirement in 2015, when she and Jesse moved to Santa Fe. True to form, retirement didn't slow her up at all. In addition to seeing her grandsons as often as she could and traveling frequently, she was active in the League of Women Voters, RepresentUS, and other civic organizations. She maintained close contact with her family and extensive network of friends, and she authored a novel. With Santa Fe as a base, she was able to hike and ski and snowshoe and generally savor the beauty of New Mexico, the state she always considered home. In October of 2020, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. With the help of the University of New Mexico Cancer Center, she fought it all the way, with dignity, grace, and humor. Her last round of chemotherapy ended on Monday, March 29, 2021. It looked as if she had beaten the leukemia. She was making plans. Sadly, it was not to be. A common bacterial infection overwhelmed her immune system weakened by chemotherapy and proved fatal. On Easter Sunday, she began to show symptoms of infection. By Tuesday afternoon, April 6 she was gone. The memory of Laura Knight Atkins' strength, courage, and love will carry us through these hard times and into brighter ones to come.
Bill and I are deeply saddened to hear this news. We will forever remember the five days we spent in Buenos Aires with Laura and Jesse, culminating in the wildest New Year's either of us have ever had. We returned a month later and spent my birthday with them at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the water. Those were happy carefree days and a time that we will never forget, spent with such lovely people. I'd been in contact with Laura recently and was very hopeful for her recovery. All our Love to you Jesse
LAURA ANNE KNIGHT ATKINS passed away from leukemia on 6 April 2021 with her husband, Jesse, by her side and holding her hand. Laura is also survived by her children (Kathleen in Germany, Christopher in NYC) and two grandchildren (Carl and Oscar living in Germany). Laura was educated as a petroleum engineer at Tulane University (Bachelor's) and later received (Master's) at Harvard University. Laura met her husband when they both worked for OPEC in Belgium.
James A "Jim" White
LAURA KNIGHT ATKINS was a real sweetheart and a dear friend to many. I will let Laura tell you more about her life in her own words:
"I applied myself in school at RHS but when I went to NMSU after graduation I decided I would rather party than study. This was not a recipe for success in engineering and I ended dropping out after 2.5 years. My father was transferred to Guam before the end of my first semester at NMSU and my entire family left Roswell. This left me at loose ends, especially during school holidays, but fortunately I had several good friends who took me in. I was able to make three trips to Guam, which I found fascinating. This was the beginning of my love for travel. I finally got serious about finishing my degree after my daughter was born and was able to finish up at Tulane."
"I graduated with a degree in chemical engineering from Tulane University in 1976, and went to work as a petroleum engineer for Amoco in Lafayette and then New Orleans, LA. In 1980 when my son was 5 months old, my former husband and I went to work for ARCO in Anchorage Alaska. We lived there for ten years, and both worked on the two giant North Slope oil fields. Later I worked on the international side of the business and traveled frequently to the Middle East, India, Ecuador, and China. I also lived in Venezuela and then Dubai, where Jesse and I lived when we were first married. In 2000 I left the oil industry and went to graduate school at the Harvard Kennedy School. After that I worked for OPEC in Vienna Austria for three years while Jesse worked in Cairo. Jesse and I moved to Buenos Aires in late 2006 where we stayed nearly four years before moving to Houston in 2010. While in Buenos Aires we were fortunate to see classmates Laurie Shuey, Pam Liston and Judi Adams. We also saw Lynn Waller and Larry Washam in Cairo."
Margaret W. "Peggy" Ware (Koger)
I am heartbroken and devastated to hear of Laura's death. We had recently talked and we're planning a visit in September. My heart goes out to the love of her life, Jesse. What a wonderful man.
Fred and I will remember our good times together with the two of you. We will play your favorite group, Dire Straights, under the stars tonight and toast to her wonderful spirit and beautiful mind. 💫🍹💖
God bless, Jesse.
James A "Jim" White
LAURA KNIGHT ATKINS
Laura Knight Atkins, grandmother of Carl and Oscar Streifeneder, mother of Kathleen Feagin Streifeneder and Christopher Eugene Blacker, and wife of Jesse Atkins, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, April 6, 2021, in Santa Fe, at the age of 72.
Laura was an optimist, believing that things could be better. She was a doer, taking action to make things better. She had a lifelong curiosity about the world around her, an untiring sense of adventure, and a profound love of the outdoors. She had the courage of her convictions: in the face of adversity she would dig in and most often overcome. Her strengths of character were many, and they ran deep: boundlessly energetic, fearless, honest, straightforward, determined, poised, unpretentious, approachable, compassionate, and fiercely devoted to her children and grandchildren.
Laura made the most of the life that was given to her. After graduating from Roswell High School, she attended New Mexico State University for a time and ultimately graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1976. She was a trailblazer at a time when there were very few women in the engineering field, launching a successful professional career that spanned more that two decades and took her everywhere in the world–Alaska, Texas, China, India, Venezuela, Dubai. During the course of her career she also raised daughter Kathleen and brought into the world and raised son Christopher.
New challenges always beckoned to Laura. When her working career came to a close, Laura decided to reinvent herself as "something other than an engineer." With that aim in mind, she enrolled in the mid-career program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, graduating in 2001 with a master's degree in Public Administration.
That achievement opened new horizons. Laura found a unique opportunity and signed on for a 3-year stint with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, (OPEC) in Vienna. Vienna was her kind of town: beautiful setting, overflowing with all kinds of music . . . and close to some good hiking and skiing.
And then it was on to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she became an independent energy consultant, advising US-based companies. The consulting business was intensive, but Laura still found time to tour Argentina from top to bottom and take in a tango lesson or two. In 2010, it was back to Texas, this time Houston. There she worked for an energy publishing and consulting outfit, until retirement in 2015, when she and Jesse moved to Santa Fe.
True to form, retirement didn't slow her up at all. In addition to seeing her grandsons as often as she could and traveling frequently, she was active in the League of Women Voters, RepresentUS, and other civic organizations. She maintained close contact with her family and extensive network of friends, and she authored a novel. With Santa Fe as a base, she was able to hike and ski and snowshoe and generally savor the beauty of New Mexico, the state she always considered home.
In October of 2020, she was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. With the help of the University of New Mexico Cancer Center, she fought it all the way, with dignity, grace, and humor. Her last round of chemotherapy ended on Monday, March 29, 2021. It looked as if she had beaten the leukemia. She was making plans. Sadly, it was not to be. A common bacterial infection overwhelmed her immune system weakened by chemotherapy and proved fatal. On Easter Sunday, she began to show symptoms of infection. By Tuesday afternoon, April 6 she was gone.
The memory of Laura Knight Atkins' strength, courage, and love will carry us through these hard times and into brighter ones to come.
Pamala Ann "Pam" Liston (Ricks)
Bill and I are deeply saddened to hear this news. We will forever remember the five days we spent in Buenos Aires with Laura and Jesse, culminating in the wildest New Year's either of us have ever had. We returned a month later and spent my birthday with them at a beautiful restaurant overlooking the water. Those were happy carefree days and a time that we will never forget, spent with such lovely people. I'd been in contact with Laura recently and was very hopeful for her recovery. All our Love to you Jesse