John Riggle Ackland was a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, and friend. He passed away peacefully in Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, CA on Sunday, January 17, 2021 at the age of 79.

John was born to Merritt and Velma Ackland on September 3, 1941 in Mt. Vernon, IL. After graduating from high school, he backpacked around Europe and New Zealand and then attended and graduated from Hanover College in Indiana. He moved out to California for a teaching job in South Central Los Angeles at Fremont High School. While teaching in Southern California, he met Diane, his wife of 53 years. After they got married, they both attended Humboldt State University and got their Master's Degrees. He then taught at Bakersfield College as a Professor in Anatomy, Physiology, and Zoology. John was the Chairman of the Biology Department in 1971 and stayed until his retirement in 2006. He worked closely with the Nursing Department, nurturing a cooperative tie between the two programs. As a result, there is a generation of BC nurses in the community who fondly remember their classes with Professor Ackland. In 1998 he received the Bakersfield College Innovator of the Year Award. He said many times that he was truly blessed to have had a job that he enjoyed so much.

John enjoyed spending his free time tending to his orchard and loved anything and everything John Deere. So much so, that he purchased a farm sized John Deere tractor for his acre lot. He also liked to spend many hours working with tools in what his friends called his Taj MaJohn since his shop was so large. John was deeply religious and was a very active member of the First United Methodist Church. He loved telling jokes as much as he loved hearing them and had the greatest belly laugh that was infectious. He was a stranger to no one and could strike up a conversation with anyone he met. The only other thing he loved more than teaching was his love for his wife Diane. They were true partners in life and had many great years together. He cherished his time he spent with his family members and friends.

John is survived by his wife Diane Ackland, children Patricia Rhee and Michael Ackland, sisters Barbara Cade (Hot Springs, AR) and Sharon Miller (Henderson, NV).

A Memorial service is scheduled for 1:00pm on Saturday, January 23, 2021 and can be attended via live stream on the First UMC Bakersfield YouTube Channel. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMyfH3m79-e4fx5gxOqBpfw Audio Only Number: 661-215-0840 In lieu of flowers, please donate to the John Ackland Memorial Scholarship at Bakersfield College, Riggle, Hinds, Ackland Endowed Scholarship at Hanover College, Habitat for Humanity, or First United Methodist Church of Bakerfield.

John Ackland Memorial Scholarship at Bakersfield College o Please make the check payable to the BC Foundation and include John Ackland in the memo line. Mailing Address: 1801 Panorama Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93305.

o supportbc.org for more information
l

Riggle, Hinds, Ackland Endowed Scholarship at Hanover College
o
https://giving.hanover.edu/give-now
l

Habitat for Humanity
o
https://www.habitat.org/donate/
l

First United Methodist Church Bakersfield o https://www.shelbygiving.com/app/giving/fumcbfl

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Bakersfield Californian on Jan. 22, 2021.

Memories and Condolences
for John Ackland

4 Entries

Peg High

January 28, 2021

First of all, thank you for putting the memorial online for those of us who could not attend. Excellent job, all members of the church, especially Hazel and Dwight. Patricia ( Anne,, as we knew you), you did a spectacular job! Your parents are so proud of you!

One of my first memories stopping by on the way to school because Diane and I carpooled during the first energy crisis of our adulthood (in the 70's) . Both Diane and John were always full of joy, even at 7:30 in the morning, and the aromas of sausage or bacon filled the house. We picture John as a red meat lover. Maybe salmon was a more recently acquired taste...

John was so meticulous in everything he did. Even his garage on the coast has all the tools one could ever need. It was also a staging ground for visits with the neighbors! Can't you just picture John, holding court in his garage?

We also remember wonderful camping expeditions, full of delectable treats and songs ( Joe, The Button Factory,etc.) Yes, that belly laugh of John's, his anecdotes and his tremendous knowledge won't be forgotten. Because of his high standards I was full o anxiety when Diane and I took a class of his, on Saturdays, about life in the river. I think we were bringing tadpoles to the classroom at the time. He brought his skeleton to my class as well. How he and Diane enriched our study of the human body with facts and songs, culminating in each child making a life size model of their skeleton. Oh, he enriched our lives so much. Look out heaven, you are in for a treat!
Peg High

Thelma McFarland

January 22, 2021

I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing. We have been friends since we met at Humboldt State University. We were neighbors in the apartment town house. Both very neat people. I stayed in Northern California but grew up in Bakersfield so every time we got to Bakersfield we would get together. I think I went to Bakersfield more often than they came here. They had a snake named Fang, if I remember correctly, so immediately John and Diane became the “Snake Man and Lady. To this day I still called them that! Great memories we share. He will be greatly missed! True friends! Our condolences to Diane, Annie, and Michael and the rest of his family. Thelma McFarland and friend Nick.

John Jones

January 22, 2021

John was a good neighbor and a good friend to our family. As a child, I spent many hours with John playing basketball in his backyard or being entertained by him and his lovely wife Diane. During Halloween, he loved to scare kids in the neighborhood and we took absolute delight in whatever crazy thing he decided to do that year. The last time I saw him was about 12 years ago and we played a couple of games of billiards on his beautiful pool table. During the second game I sunk the eight ball during the break, it was funny. He and his wife were always so funny and kind I will never forget them.

Anna Gutierrez

January 22, 2021

I had a class with Mr. Ackland in the early 80’s. Leave it to him to make a difficult class seem like a breeze.
My condolences to the family and CB May he Rest In Peace.

Showing 1 - 4 of 4 results