Obituary of Roy Durwood Akin

Roy D. Akin, 60, of Roy, Washington, passed away October 19, 2011, at home. The son of Bernice and Leroy Akin was the youngest of five siblings and born on April 25, 1951, in Fort Worth, Texas. As the son of an Air Force officer, Roy grew up and lived in many places in the United States and Japan. In Middle School and High School, Roy enjoyed playing on the baseball team and graduated from Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington, in 1969. Roy attended college at Washington State University. On his parent’s 40th anniversary, August 10, 1975, he married his wife, Elaine Parks, at the home of her mother. He started working in the ceramic business when he was 18 and eventually purchased Miller Ceramic Supply from John and Gladys Miller. Roy gave new meaning to customer service and relished in the creative and personal connections his business provided. After he closed the business he worked as a carpenter and then as a bus driver. Roy loved the people that he worked with and the people that he drove. Roy and Elaine built their dream log cabin in the woods together in 1976 where they raised their children, Sarah and Ryan in the Roy, Washington community. Roy and Elaine loved the outdoors and he was an avid fisherman, hunter and camper. He really encouraged his daughter Sarah in her baseball interests and appreciated that connection that they had together. Roy always encouraged her to do things that were not typically “girl” things to do. His son Ryan’s interest in mechanics began with the model car that Roy gave him as a birthday gift. Roy supported and encouraged Ryan’s love of “car farming” throughout his youth. He enjoyed his hobbies more with his wife and children and always included them. Roy was a craftsman and handmade everything from pie plates to fishing rods with special care and thought for each gift. Roy loved to barbeque and spent hours preparing special meals for his friends and family. Roy was the type of person that would give you the shirt off his back, and was happy to do it! He is survived by his wife, Elaine, his daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Eric Grossman, of Bellingham, WA; his son, Ryan Akin, of Peoria, AZ; sister, Berna Lee Akin and nephew, Alan, of Albuquerque, NM; brother, Robert Akin, sister-in-law, Jeanne, and nephews, Shawn Yates, Stephen and Terry Akin and their families of Roy, WA; sister, Barbara Cameron, of Malibu, CA, and nephew, Douglas Cameron, of Colorado Springs, CO; and mother-in-law, Marceline Parks, of Phoenix, AZ. Roy was preceded in death by his older brother, Stephen, and his mother and father. A memorial will be held Saturday November 19th 11:00am at: Yelm LDS Building 14023 Clark Rd SE Yelm, WA 98597 Arrangements by Edwards Memorial (253) 566-1008