Dr. Hugh Akers passed away August 7, 2007. He was born in McMinnville, Oregon, on August 7, 1945, “between the bombs”, as he liked to say. He was preceded in death by his father, Dewey Akers, and his mother and stepfather, Minna and Lawrence Gilkerson.
His wife, Becky, daughter and son-in-law, Gwyn and Ramon Ramos and grandchildren Karlye and Landon of Beaumont; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Siobhan Akers, St Louis MO; brother and sister-in-law, Ronald and Mildred Akers of Riverside, CA; sister, Virginia Pullen, Lebanon, OR; and the many friends and students whose lives he touched survive him.
Hugh’s primary and secondary education was in Brookings, Oregon, where he graduated from high school in 1963. After his freshman year at Oregon State University, he graduated in 1968 from the University of California, Riverside, with a BS degree in Biochemistry. His graduate work was done at the University of California, Berkeley, and he was awarded his PhD in Biochemistry in 1973. Hugh then spent four years of post-graduate work at The Rockefeller University in New York, working in the laboratory of Nobel laureate Fritz Lipmann.
As a professor at Lamar University, Beaumont, since 1977, he taught Chemistry and Biochemistry. He chaired the Pre-professional committee for a number of years, and was honored by both the university and the students over the years for his effectiveness in teaching. He authored or co-authored many scientific articles.
Hugh’s interest in history was evident in many areas. Students in his classes were treated to stories of the people involved in biochemistry, some of whom he personally had met. History was a big part of his hobbies of collecting coins, bricks with names, wrought iron plaques, and treadle sewing machine bases.
He enjoyed working with his hands and the challenge of building a log house consumed his leisure time. He was known for his sense of humor and his ability to see humor in every day occurrences, and his laugh, which often emanated from his office.
A service of celebration will be Wednesday, August 15, at 3:30 pm at First United Methodist Church, Beaumont, Texas.
Memorials can be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Beaumont Chapter, 440 N 18th St, 77707; Lamar University Scholarship Fund, PO Box 10011, Beaumont 77710; Nickels for Nets, First United Methodist Church, PO Box 788, Kountze, TX, 77625.
