Mark David Atkin, MD, an esteemed Princeton pediatrician, renowned as a man of passion and compassion, wisdom and vision, integrity and joie de vie, grit and wit, died Thursday, April 9, 2026 at the age of 91.
Lauded by his wife Lorraine Atkin as the best possible role model for their blended family of nine children, Andrew and Douglas; Ronald, Scott, Laura, Thomas, Suzanne, Daniel, and David. The family has expanded to 16 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Dr. Atkin was predeceased by his first wife, Carol Atkin, who died in 2009.
The term role model became apparent to so many in the community who had the privilege and good fortune of receiving medical care from, working with, and being friends with him continuing through his six decades in Princeton.
Shortly after his birth on September 30, 1934 in Newark, then he moved to Irvington, where the family owned and operated The Atkin Department Store. Though raised in Maplewood, Dr Atkin loved the Massachusetts area. He received his B.A. from Tufts University, graduated from the Tufts University School of Medicine in 1960, served as a captain in the U. S. Army Medical Corps in Fort Devens (about 35 miles from Boston), followed by serving as chief resident in Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. He left Massachusetts to settle in Princeton with his wife Carol in the late 1960s.
Dr. Atkin joined The Pediatric Group of Princeton in 1969 where he remained for the next 30 years providing clinical services as a primary care pediatrician. In 1970, Dr. Atkin served as chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Princeton Hospital and in 1979 as president of the Medical Staff.
His retirement was spent doing everything but retiring. After leaving office based primary care in 1994, Dr. Atkin became director of Princeton Educational Resources, a non-profit educational center providing testing and counseling and pro-bono support for schools.
He then continued his own professional education and development, when he began practicing developmental pediatrics at Hunterdon Medical Center. In recent years, he directed his seemingly boundless energies to being an instructor with the Center for Modern Aging Princeton (CMAP) Evergreen Forum, a board member of the Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, and an advisor to anyone who called him for professional or personal help. In the words of one of his close associates, he had a remarkable way of putting people at ease, listening without judgment, and offering comfort simply through his presence.
His zest for life was most evident in his passion for skiing, biking and bridge. He had the remarkable good fortune to visit every continent joined by family and friends. His favorite adventures were his trips with his grandchildren. He savored his bridge games, lunches with friends and former patients, and the camaraderie with the Boys of ‘34 – Princeton colleagues who all were born in 1934. He rarely turned down an opportunity to attend a concert, visit a museum, or a Boston Red Sox game.
In addition to his wife Lorraine and the nine children mentioned above, he is survived by: the children’s partners James, Elena, Cheryle, Kristin, Ken, Vincent, and Judith; his grandchildren Sara, Brian, Peter, Michael, Nicholas, Justina, Natasha, Kris, Callen, Molly, Cameron, Tyler, Hunter, Samantha, Calvin, and Gabriel; and his great grandchildren Aiden and Sierra.
Generations of children in New Jersey flourished under his care.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 12 at 1 pm at The Jewish Center of Princeton, 435 Nassau Street, Princeton, NJ. Burial will follow in Princeton Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to The Children’s Home Society of New Jersey, based in Trenton, NJ (chsofnj.org)
Funeral arrangements are by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel. OrlandsMemorialChapel.com/Mark-Atkin