Edward Akin

1942 - 2016

Edward Proxamus Akin III
1942-2016
Edward Proxamus "Ed" Akin III passed away August 20, 2016 after a brave three year fight with COPD and lung cancer.
A third generation Texan, Ed was the grandson of a Confederate veteran, the first Edward P. Akin, who served in the Army of Tennessee under Joseph Johnston, and moved to Texas after the Civil War. Ed grew up in the Houston Heights, attending Field Elementary and Hogg Junior High.
Ed is pre-deceased by his parents, Edward P. "E.P." Akin II, and Thelma Parker Akin, who owned Akin Pharmacy at East 20th and North Main. He grew up in a rambling house half a block away, built by and occupied in part by T. N. McMillan. The Scottish house carpenter adopted Ed's family-all three generations of it-as his own. E. P. Akin remembered simply that "Mr. Mac was my son's grandfather."
He had no need of surrogate grandmothers. Sallie Trotter lived next door, and they loved each other fiercely.
A natural storyteller, Ed could make old times in the Heights live again. His Houston was a town full of characters, many of whom worked or held forth at his parent's pharmacy counter or its soda fountain.
As a young man, he and his parents travelled from the Redwood forests of California to the Gulf Stream of Florida-all in a Buick. He climbed pyramids in Old Mexico and explored ice caves in New Mexico, with the late Curtis Parker, who Ed recalled as "more like a brother than a cousin." Cemented into a loving extended family from birth, Ed learned to tell stories by hearing family lore of pioneer and farm days in Texas. He is survived by cousins Baker Akin and Lucille Lee, and their families, all of Houston.
Ed matriculated at Reagan High School before graduating with S. P. Waltrip's inaugural 1961 class. Before leaving Reagan, he met Geraldine "Jerrie" Lawrence in a civics class. She thought he looked like Phil Everly. He thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, an opinion he was never shy about delivering for the next 55 years. Not yet twenty when they wed, the bride and groom never needed lawyers to parse the meaning of vows. They were never apart. The marriage produced two sons, David Akin of Houston, a veteran of the 101st. Airborne and Edward P. "Pete" Akin and wife Molly, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Their Dad instilled a love of shooting, fishing and the outdoors in his sons. The marriage also bound him to another loving family, particularly Dell and Hector Hernandez, Kathy and Mike Waggoner and family, S. T. and Janey Lawrence and family, and many others. Ed doted on his two grandchildren, Emily Erin Akin and Natalie Grace Akin of Cincinnati. Family visits began with festive balloons, devolved into water gun fights, practical jokes and an occasional impromptu animal adoption.
And at least once a night, he would double everyone up with his wit, delivered in a language that was all his own. "Where is the wango, Darling?" Where indeed?
Ed attended the University of Houston, reading widely in history and literature. He could tell you how the brigades were arrayed at Gettysburg or Chancellorsville, or re-fight the Battle of the Alamo. He could hold a McMurtry novel in his lap, watch a Cougar game and never miss a beat with either. He put himself through UH working in the family pharmacy. After a long stint in security work for Superior Oil Company, he graduated UH with a criminal justice degree and became a security and firearms instructor. The natural story teller was a natural teacher. His favorite job was teaching concealed carry classes.
Ed loved to hike, fish and spot birds. He became an Eagle Scout at age 14. Camped on the Pedernales River, where he was more at home than any hotel, watching deer and serenaded by birds, he once exclaimed, "this is a bit of all right!" He lived his faith by quiet example. In the 1970s, he wrote a weekly column for his St. Matthews UMC Sunday School class. And what a columnist. Forty years on, Biblical characters and students live and breathe, and discussions flare up, delivered in a voice that was all his own. One read:
"Business complete, our teacher dusted off Ezekiel and laid him before the class. Wearied by many weeks of Jeremiah, we responded with a sigh. …After an active discussion, it was agreed that both teacher and students, Christians together, should catch a fair wind and seek on a new beach the footprints of GOD." Now he has caught that fair wind, and found those footprints.
Visitation on Tuesday, 5-8PM, and funeral service 1:30PM Wednesday, both at Pat H. Foley Funeral Directors, 1200 W 34th Street, Houston, Texas.