In memoriam: Retired missionary George DeMott “Dee” Attix, 82

George DeMott “Dee” Attix, 1938-2020

George DeMott “Dee” Attix, an International Mission Board retired missionary who shared the gospel among the European Affinity Peoples in Bosnia, died Dec. 7, 2020, at Raritan Bay Medical Center, Old Bridge, New Jersey. He was 82.

He was born Feb. 24, 1938, in Little Rock, Arkansas, to the late Dorothy Carrick Attix and George W. Attix.

When seeking missionary appointment Attix wrote that while he was a college freshman focused on having a good time, “God saw fit to put me on the fourth floor of the men’s dorm. This floor housed most of the guys who were going to pursue the ministry. They saw my lifestyle and began to pray for me.

“One of those fellows, John White, was a faithful soul-winner,” he said, “and he led me to Christ in his dorm room one night, as I knelt by his bed after hearing the wonderful plan of salvation through Christ Jesus. My life has never been the same since!”

Later, while attending Roanoke Bible College in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, he met Patricia Combs and they were married the next year. For years, he said, they both felt a strong pull to be involved in international missions.

Attix and his family served two years in Brazil with the Christian Service Corps. After their children were grown, he and Pat spent their summers as volunteers in Albania, France, Venezuela and Eastern Europe. In 1999, the International Mission Board appointed them as missionaries to Bosnia. They served for nine years before retiring.

Attix was a member of Sayre Woods Bible Church, Old Bridge.

Surviving are his wife, Patricia (Combs) Attix of South Amboy, New Jersey; two sons, Joel “Kevin” Attix of South Amboy, New Jersey, and Stephen DeMott Attix (Allison) of California; a daughter, Deborah Lynn Ensing (Dennis) of London, Ontario, Canada; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

An online service was held Dec. 19, 2020.


Read an obituary here.