Charles Donald Akey

October 19, 1930 - May 17, 2021

Born in Handley Texas to Charles Basil Akey and Willie Elizabeth Akey Bauer (Jones, née).

The eldest of two children, his younger sister Martha Akey.

Charles was the leader of The Akey clan of 7, his bride of 66 years Violet Joan predeceased him by 8 weeks.

Surviving children include Charles Steven Akey, David Akey, Bill Akey, Sheri Olson and Lisa Akey. Grandchildren are Caitlyn Akey, Christopher Akey, Noah Akey, Ashely Akey, Michael Olson, Matthew Olson, Nick Akey, Marcus Olson, Michelle Olson,

Gracie Holiday and Django Garrison.

Great Grandchild Emma Mae Cansler.

A gentlemen of extraordinary taste and style raised on the front 9 of the Lubbock Town Country Club and Golf Club. While Golf was not a priority to him as a younger man, both his parents were avid golfers and his father was the golf pro in residence at LTCC but the land and the lakes and the ducks and the fish that swam in the ponds were all that Charley needed to nudge the modern agrarian warrior inside of him. The golf course was a lush and solid foundation, but also still in it’s infancy and so it gave expansion to his mind, physical strength to his body, a place for refuge against a world barking at the heels of war.

He was the sole watchmen over the White Aspens that grew along the courses’ border walls, looping a coiled up hose around his shoulders and riding his bike to it’s first tree.

He tended. He prodded.

He watered and he nurtured.

He was their guardian.

A child of the Silent Generation he was too jammed with big ideas and modern notions to sit still on that coarse for too long, he had things to do, dirt to turn. People to enchant.

A high school graduate at 15, he made his way to Texas Tech where he received his BA in Industrial Management and met his bride Violet Joan Garrison. Twere’ love at first site with these two birds. Married in a small church in Levelland, Texas with a proper “no booze allowed” morning tea. From Levelland the two headed off to Charley’s first military assignment at Ft. Riley in Kansas Missouri.

Working concurrently he received his

BS in Civil Engineering from The Missouri School of Mines,

and where the first of their five children would be born-Steven

As they forged new languages and cultures around the globe, Charley and Joan brought in another new life to join them in their garden.

Wurzburg, Germany- David

Ft. Belvar, Virginia - William

Levelland, Texas Sheri

From there the entire family moved to Quito, Ecuador where Charley was the Community Project Advisory to Ecuadorian Ministry of Defense leading the Civic Action program, US agency for International Development.

6 years later the family dismounted back to Ft. Belvar and the last of the crew Lisa was born.

Charley headed to Vietnam while the other 6 went back to Texas

And 18 months later he made his exit as a career Army person and entered civilian life.

From there the family moved to Livonia, Michigan where Charley began his 25 year long career with Ford Motor company as a Civil Engineer and lead team manager with the Weights and Measurements Division. Later becoming a leading committee member and then President with the NIST in Michigan

Charles was an active leader in the community as

President and Program Chairman of the Livonia School Board and it’s Advisory programs

PTSA Delegate and Advisory Councilperson

Falcon Little league Football coach

Troop #890 Boy Scouts of America group Leader

It is perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments that he was a forward thinking, modern administrator of things vital to the Livonia Pubic Schools. Optimistically setting goals to forge against the grain, prodding and tilling up the community’s status quo. He wanted positive, modern change for the public school system, and he was well matched for the challenge.

He was tenacious and hearty of spirit.

In his campaign speech for his first run for the Livonia School Board:

“I’m for Joe Square, who’s the middle of the road kind of guy or gal who pays the bills and does all the volunteer work with the groups that make a difference to our community: Scouts, PTA, Little League, School board, the YMCA, their church. The so called “liberals” who cry EDUCATION and to hell with the cost, or the Conservatives who say “TO HELL with education, just CUT, CUT, CUT IT ALL.”

They’re both wrong. The middle ground is the the toughest way to go , but we can have a lot more education and MORE arts, for a little less money if we are willing to work. To work, and scratch and sweat together to do it.”

And he did it. He got that done.

He watered. He prodded. He nurtured.

He made a lot of people mad in the doing.

He spent his life doing that work.

His 5 children.

His children’s children.

He worked meticulously , cared deeply and until the day he died he watered the ground around us.

Charles and Joan retired back to their home state of Texas for their final years.

Violet Joan pre-deceased Charley by 8 weeks to the day.

They were life long companions, confidants and lovers in residence with each other until the day she died.

To this writer, it makes more sense than not that that’s how he would choose his final exit-a swift and definitive bow, than a shout from the edge of the universe:

MEET YOU IN THE ‘GREAT PERHAPS’

My parents remains will be interned at the Dallas Fort Worth Veterans Memorial on Friday June 25th.