John Oliver Akers

John Oliver Akers, 77, of Ormond Beach, Florida, passed away on July 24th, 2025. Born in Atlanta, Georgia, John grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida. He was a graduate of Seabreeze High School and earned a BS degree from Presbyterian College, where he was a member of the golf team and president of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity. After graduation from college, he entered dental school at the Medical College of Virginia, where he met the love of his life, Jennifer Perkins. John and Jennifer were married for nearly 52 years. They have two children and are blessed by four grandchildren, who were all a central part of John's life.

After graduation from dental school, John completed a general dental practice residency at St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois followed by residencies in pediatric dentistry and oral & maxillofacial surgery at the Medical University of South Carolina. In 1981, after receiving his specialty degree in oral & maxillofacial surgery, he moved back home to Ormond Beach and started his oral surgery career with the office of Bud Fleuchaus and Richard Gaines. The office, known as Fleuchaus, Gaines and Akers, later became Florida Oral & Facial Surgical Associates. John was a leader and integral part of this practice for the next 44 years. John loved taking care of his patients, and he was dedicated to the practice of oral surgery.

While he had little regard for all things formal and conventional, he always offered encouragement to everyone he knew. He was a natural teacher and helped many people with their career goals, boosting the confidence and self respect of every person's path he crossed.

John had so many interests and hobbies, it is hard to list them all. Of special interest was his love of fishing, hunting, bird dogs, golf, travel, bonsai gardening and cooking. All of these passions were pursued with an intensity and gusto second to none. He lacked any form of indecision and took life at double time speed.

He was a member of the Ormond Beach Rotary Club and Oceanside Country Club, where he won the Club Golf Championship when he was only 17 years old. He was a baseball coach in the little league program in Ormond Beach. He was a founding developer of Operation Changing Lives, which provides life changing maxillofacial surgeries on disadvantaged patients with severe facial deformities. In addition, he volunteered his time as an adjunct professor in oral surgery at the University of Florida. He went to Haiti and the Dominican Republic on several medical mission trips to volunteer his skills. On these trips he also served as teacher and mentor to University of Florida dental students.

John is predeceased by his parents, William Akers, Jr. and Georgia Oliver Akers; his niece, Darcy Akers; and his grandson, Wade Reagin. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer P. Akers; his two children, William Akers, IV and Jesse Akers Reagin (Thomas Brett Reagin) of Ormond Beach. He was known as Big John and loved by his four grandchildren, Corbin Akers, Amelia Akers, Lane Reagin, and Wyatt Reagin. He is also survived by his brother, William Akers, III (Carol T. Akers) of Ormond Beach. As well, he is survived by his niece, Bethany A. Muller (Carlos W. Muller); his grand niece, Anya B. Muller; and his grand nephew, Che M. Muller; all of Sante Fe, New Mexico.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Oceanside Country Club, Ormond Beach, Florida on Friday, August 15th, 2025 at 5:30 PM. Donations in his memory can be made to the Darcy Akers Scholarship Fund, c/o Ormond Beach Rotary Club, P.O. Box 104, Ormond Beach, FL 32175.

The care of Dr. John O Akers is under the careful direction of Lohman Funeral Home Ormond, 733 W Granada Blvd, Ormond Beach, FL 32174, 386-673-1100. Services are pending.