The community should recognize the many contributions made by Clint Atkins.

It's been nearly a month since the Champaign County community was stunned by the sudden death of Clint Atkins, a widely respected local entrepreneur and philanthropist.

It will take much longer than that to sort out the impact his passing will have on so many different aspects of community life. It's been said many times, but bears repeating, that Mr. Atkins left a large mark on this community.

His philanthropy and his business enterprises were spread across the community. He was a generous donor to many different entities and organizations, including the University of Illinois, and his business ventures ranged from the Stone Creek Golf course in southeast Urbana to the Baytowne Apartments in northwest Champaign.

He was still active on a number of fronts, and, had his life not been cut short, there's no telling what else he might have achieved.

Considering the huge role Mr. Atkins played here and the many people he knew and helped, it would be appropriate for the community to honor his memory in some fashion.

How best that could be achieved, of course, is a matter of debate. Mr. Atkins' was a modest and unassuming man, one who achieved at the highest level while maintaining a low-key personality that belied his success.

Mr. Atkins was committed to doing whatever he could to improve Champaign-Urbana and make it an even better place to live, and he did much to make that happen.

His rich legacy should be recognized.