Patricia "Tip" Allen Akins

Mrs. Patricia "Tip" Allen Akins, died May 8, 2018 due to complications of Alzheimer's. Tip was born July 24, 1923 in De Queen, Ark. She graduated from De Queen High School and attended Henderson State Teachers College. She fell in love with Morris Sheppard Akins and married him in 1946. In 1950, they moved to Carthage, Texas, where she wrote a society column for the local paper and worked at First National Bank, before moving to Shreveport in 1958, where she was a secretary at Fair Park High School for 24 years. Tip was well known as a beautiful soloist and sang in the choirs at Mangum Memorial United Methodist Church and, in her later years, Broadmoor United Methodist Church. After retiring, she lived in Fayetteville, Ark., Shreveport, La., and for the past two years resided in Houston, Texas. ‘Grammy' was an invaluable part of our lives, loved by family and friends and especially adored by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She shared her unconditional love and generous spirit with all those around her. She proclaimed to everyone that she chose to be joyful; her source of joy and happiness was her deep, personal faith in Christ. Preceding Tip in death were her parents, brothers, husband Morris Sheppard Akins Sr. (Putt), and her beloved grandson Dirk Duane Miller Jr. Left to cherish her memory are Tia Akins Gurvitz, Lexington, Ky.; Mor¬ris Sheppard ‘Shep' Akins, Jr. (Susan), Fayetteville, Ark.; Jeri Akins Carlton (James), Houston, Texas; loving grandchildren, Shira Gurvitz Gambrel, MD, (John Ross), Lexington, Ky; Kelsi Gurvitz Harrington (John), Houston, Texas; Matthew Alan Akins (Kate), Fayetteville, Ark.; Elizabeth Leigh Akins, PharmD, Fayetteville, Ark.; and five great-grandchildren: Maddax, Miller, Brooks, Hudson and Holland. A memorial service celebrating the life of Tip will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 26, Broadmoor United Methodist Church in Shreveport, La.., officiated by Dr. Greg Davis. Burial will be at Redmen Cemetery, in De Queen, Ark. Tip loved music, so sing and dance to your favorite songs to celebrate her life! Donations can be made in her memory to Friends of Dirk Fund at MD Anderson Cancer Center; mdanderson.org/gifts (choose "other" to direct the donation and type Friends of Dirk Fund) or mail check to MDACC (write Friends of Dirk Fund in comments), P.O. Box 4486, Houston Texas, 77210. You may leave a condolence online at www.wilkersonfuneralhomes.com.