Igor Akimoff

Igor Akimoff Died peacefully, surrounded by family, on June 21, 2006. He was 87. Igor was affectionately known as "Ak" to his friends and work associates. Igor was born on October 15, 1918 in Kiev, Russia which is now in the Ukraine. He and his family fled from the Russian Revolution to Harbin China where they lived until immigrating to the United States in 1929. He graduated from Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco. Igor met his wife, Iraida in SF, where they married in 1945. He worked as a mechanic in the shipyards during World War II. After the war, he joined at Pan American Airlines. During the late 1940s, he opened his own business repairing private planes at Santa Rosa Airport. When his business failed, he joined Hiller Helicopters. With the arrival of their children, Igor decided to improve his career prospects and attended night classes to become a mechanical engineer. He began his engineering career at Hiller Helicopters but shortly moved to Lockheed. Igor quickly developed a reputation as a top notch designer and problem solver. He retired from Lockheed in the mid 1980s after a long distinguished career. Igor loved airplanes from the moment he saw one fly overhead as a child in China. He enjoyed designing them, building them, and repairing them; even more than flying them. It was a true passion. Igor was a devoted husband and father. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 59 years, Iraida; and his parents, Viacheslav and Tatiana Akimoff. Igor is survived by his sister Kitty Fedoroff of Daly City, CA; sons, Greg Akimoff and wife, Jeanne of Georgetown, TX, Paul Akimoff and wife, Jan Johnson of Fort Mill, SC, and Mike Akimoff and wife, Stephanie of Yelm, WA; grandchildren: Justin, Amanda, Luke, Aaron, Mark and Sarah Dickert and her husband Gary. A Celebration of Ak's life will be held Thursday, June 29 at 4:00pm, at DUGGAN'S SERRA MORTUARY, 500 Westlake Ave, Daly City. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation be made to the American Cancer Society.