'Funny, caring, wholesome': East Peoria man celebrated after death from brain cancer

Todd Akers began his career in the 1980s as a third-shift custodian at the Peoria Journal Star. He rose to become the newspaper’s building and purchasing manager before three decades later he began work at District 50 schools in Washington.

“He started working (at the JS) when he was pretty young, maybe 19 or 20,” said Akers’ daughter, Stephanie Lopez of Germantown Hills. “He loved his job. He just loved to work. It was what motivated him as a person.”

The hard-working and beloved Akers died on July 25 after a battle with brain cancer. He was 57.

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“He was a funny, caring, wholesome man,” said his wife, Darlene Akers.

Funny, sensitive and a 'rocker'

Also known for his sense of humor, Akers loved vintage sitcoms like “The Andy Griffith Show,” “Sanford and Son” and “M*A*S*H*.” Darlene recalled that lines from those shows frequently made it into his everyday conversation.

“He was always quoting Barney Fife,” she said of the silly and self-confident deputy to Griffith's sheriff character. “And he liked to do a thing from ‘Sanford and Son,’ where he’d say ‘Elizabeth! I’m comin’ to join ya!’”

Akers also enjoyed playing basketball, hiking, working on cars and heavy metal music. Favorite artists included Judas Priest, Megadeth, Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. Lopez has fond early memories of her father as a “rocker.”

“He had long hair, and when he was listening to his heavy metal, he’d put his foot on the couch and play air guitar,” she said. “He loved Judas Priest and saw them in concert many times.”

Darlene remembered her late husband as a doting family man who had the ability to make friends wherever he went. Some of her favorite memories of Akers were centered around the births of their children. “He cried,” she said.

Always lending a hand

Motivated by a strong work ethic and general love of humanity, Akers was always ready to help people in need, according to Lopez. After Lopez moved into her own home, she said Todd frequently performed repairs and maintenance work on her car and helped her with heavy yard work.

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“He never wanted to be paid for anything like that,” Lopez said. “He would always work on other people’s cars for free, and he always offered to help with anything I needed done around my house.”

Akers was accorded cremation rites with Illini Cremation in Peoria. Cards can be sent from and condolences left at illinicremation.com. His family requested that any donations be made to The Mark Linder Walk for the Mind to help continue to find a cure for brain cancer.

He is survived by Lopez; his son Todd Akers Jr., of Chillicothe; his wife Darlene Akers of East Peoria; his brother David Akers; and grandchildren Abram and Remi Lopez of Germantown Hills.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Funny, caring, wholesome': East Peoria man celebrated after death from brain cancer