Edward L. Akins, residing in South Bend, passed away at 4:02 p.m. Sunday, July 5, 2020 at Hospice House, South Bend at the age of 90 years old.
He was born May 13, 1930 in Old Ridge, Nebraska, a son of the late Lloyd Robert & Katherine Ida (Wolfe) Akins. Because his father was a traveling salesman, Ed lived in 21 states during the younger years of his life.
He graduated from Illinois Institute of Technology in 1952 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Following graduation from IIT, Ed worked in a gun factory in Washington, D.C. from which he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He was assigned to a chemical lab in Germany where all material from Russia was examined. He enjoyed traveling throughout Europe with a fellow soldier when on leave. He was honorably discharged on January 25, 1955 as a Corporal.
He moved to South Bend, and accepted a job with the Bendix Corp. While working backstage at a community theater company, he met Mary Louise Swingendorf who he later married in 1957. They had six children: Kacy (Paul) Hertz, Ellen Akins (Steve Denker), Jeanne (Mike) Olen who died at the age of 30, David (Lisa Ogawa) Akins, Peter (Stacie Reyher) Akins, and Kari (Mentor) Elezi. Also surviving are twelve grandchildren Mary preceded Ed in death on November 1, 2001. In 2005, he married Anita McCollester who survives along with her children, Margarethe (Michael) Chobanian, Frances Striz, Carole McCollester, Andrea L. McCollester, and Peter N. (Debbie) McCollester, along with thirteen step grandchildren and five step great-grandchildren. Ed is also survived by his two sisters, Patricia (Owen) Kruger, and Sandy Condes. A brother, Dick Akins preceded him in death as well as step grandson, Colin Peter McCollester age 34, who died December 12, 2019 of cerebral maleria.
Ed loved his job at Bendix, overseeing more than one hundred employees in the Aerospace Engineering Division. He was a talented artist, especially with stained glass. He was a member of the South Bend Power Squadron for which he helped to teach the Public Boating Course and he sailed with members in the North Channel, Canada. He was a member of Sacred Heart Parish at Notre Dame.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 2:00 PM on Monday, July 13, at the Sacred Heart Parish Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame Graveside services and military honors will follow at Cedar Grove Cemetery, Notre Dame. Due to current public health and safety standards for COVID -19, social distancing and wearing masks will be required.
Livestreaming of this service will not be shown due to the internet signal at the Parish. However, the funeral was recorded and can be seen in its entirety at the link below after 4pm EST:
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RucC4NHkLog&feature=youtu.be
Contributions in memory of Mr. Akins may be offered to Our Lady of the Road, 744 South Main St., South Bend, IN 46601. Online condolence to the family may be sent to www.palmerfuneralhomes.com. Arrangements are under the care of Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel.
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