Our beloved Carolyn Kent (Morgan) Akers passed away peacefully on February 28, 2024, at the age of 71 in the loving presence of her daughter Jessie and her sister Beth. She died from complications from a fall which resulted in a traumatic head injury. A celebration of life was held on March 9, 2024, at her home in California. Over 130 close friends and family gathered outside on this beautiful sunny day to honor her and remember her. A few of the loving messages shared on this day are included here. Carolyn was born in Richmond, Virginia, on November 22, 1952, to Mary Repass Morgan and Emmett Joseph Morgan. Growing up, she attended First Baptist Church with her family and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. After high school, she earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education and studied speech pathology at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she competed in the collegiate lacrosse program. She was also an accomplished piano player. As one story is told, Carolyn's family wondered why she so frequently donated blood at the Medical College of Virginia. It turned out, she had met her future husband for life, Greg Akers, who was there attending dental school. They married and moved to southern California in 1975, where they started a family. They welcomed their son Zachary Judson in January of 1983 and later their daughter Jessie Elisabeth in May of 1986. Carolyn began her 25-year teaching career in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California. Throughout her teaching career, she was dedicated to her students and received several teacher-of-the-year awards. She was considered by so many of her staff as a gifted educator who had the unique ability to see the whole child. One of her fellow educators shared with the family that every day in the classroom she had her students repeat her motto: "Good, better best; never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is your best." Carolyn's dedication and love extended to Zach and Jessie and her husband Greg. She was also a constant presence to her siblings and aging parents, and she stayed close to her extended family members, including her nieces and nephews. Carolyn's family and friends would all agree she had a heart full of empathy and kindness, touching so many lives. She was known to have difficulty limiting her flower bouquet expenses, as this gesture brought her great joy to share joy with others. Practicing good nutrition and exercise with her family was especially important, and she encouraged her children, Zach and Jessie, to participate in many sports activities including surfing, swimming, soccer, baseball, and gymnastics. She taught aerobics classes for several years in her community. She enjoyed swimming and water skiing during many summertime trips to their timeshare houseboat on Lake Powell in Utah. She became an avid downhill skier during the days the family spent in Aspen, Colorado. When visiting her Montana family, she spent time hiking numerous backcountry trails including those within the national parks there. Carolyn had a great love for animals all her life, growing up with many cats and dogs. As time went on, she and her family raised three golden retrievers. Their most recent golden, Gracie, is 14 years old. Gracie now resides with her husband, Greg, who lives in a memory care facility near their home. Carolyn's love of travel took her and her family to Hawaii, Alaska, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Machu Picchu, Peru. She joined a church group trip to Tanzania in 2008, where they helped to build a much-needed schoolhouse for a community there. That community offered to plant a garden with Carolyn near Mt. Kilimanjaro in memory of her beloved son Zach, who lost his life in 2004. She donated monthly to support education for students in Tanzania from that day forward. Carolyn's faith in God was evident and helped her get through some big challenges in her life, along with her daughter Jessie's "steadfast love." She so loved living near the ocean and truly felt God's presence there. She inherited a strong faith from her own mother, Mary, and passed this along to her daughter, Jessie. Carolyn's memorial gave all those in attendance a beautiful and lasting memory: a colorful celebration of all the lives she touched and the energy and light she gave to others. As her niece Meg said, "I think what we will most take away from this day and from her life, is the hope to carry on some of that light and share joy and flowers, as Carolyn would have done." Carolyn's passing was preceded by her brother, Emmett Morgan, Jr.; mother and father, Mary Repass and Emmett Joseph Morgan; her son Zachary; brother-in-law Jeff White; and mother-and father-in-law, Myrla and Marion Akers. Carolyn is survived by her husband Greg and her daughter Jessie; sisters Beverly Morgan and Beth Morgan-Giddings (husband Brian, niece Meg and nephew Kip); her nephew Scott Morgan (daughter Kaitlyn); her sisters-in-law Brenda Morgan and Leslie White (son Ryan); her brother-in-law Alan Akers (wife Joyce), and nephews Scott, Brent and Greg; and SO many FRIENDS near and dear to her heart. Please say a prayer for Carolyn and plant or share a flower in her memory. The family suggests donations in Carolyn's name be made to NAMI (www.nami.org), the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or a donation of your choice. To share a memory or condolences, please reference the memorial website carolyn-akers.forevermissed.com.
Michael Grossman
Our beloved Carolyn Kent (Morgan) Akers passed away peacefully on February 28, 2024, at the age of 71 in the loving presence of her daughter Jessie and her sister Beth. She died from complications from a fall which resulted in a traumatic head injury. A celebration of life was held on March 9, 2024, at her home in California. Over 130 close friends and family gathered outside on this beautiful sunny day to honor her and remember her. A few of the loving messages shared on this day are included here. Carolyn was born in Richmond, Virginia, on November 22, 1952, to Mary Repass Morgan and Emmett Joseph Morgan. Growing up, she attended First Baptist Church with her family and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. After high school, she earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education and studied speech pathology at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, where she competed in the collegiate lacrosse program. She was also an accomplished piano player. As one story is told, Carolyn's family wondered why she so frequently donated blood at the Medical College of Virginia. It turned out, she had met her future husband for life, Greg Akers, who was there attending dental school. They married and moved to southern California in 1975, where they started a family. They welcomed their son Zachary Judson in January of 1983 and later their daughter Jessie Elisabeth in May of 1986. Carolyn began her 25-year teaching career in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California. Throughout her teaching career, she was dedicated to her students and received several teacher-of-the-year awards. She was considered by so many of her staff as a gifted educator who had the unique ability to see the whole child. One of her fellow educators shared with the family that every day in the classroom she had her students repeat her motto: "Good, better best; never let it rest, until your good is better and your better is your best." Carolyn's dedication and love extended to Zach and Jessie and her husband Greg. She was also a constant presence to her siblings and aging parents, and she stayed close to her extended family members, including her nieces and nephews. Carolyn's family and friends would all agree she had a heart full of empathy and kindness, touching so many lives. She was known to have difficulty limiting her flower bouquet expenses, as this gesture brought her great joy to share joy with others. Practicing good nutrition and exercise with her family was especially important, and she encouraged her children, Zach and Jessie, to participate in many sports activities including surfing, swimming, soccer, baseball, and gymnastics. She taught aerobics classes for several years in her community. She enjoyed swimming and water skiing during many summertime trips to their timeshare houseboat on Lake Powell in Utah. She became an avid downhill skier during the days the family spent in Aspen, Colorado. When visiting her Montana family, she spent time hiking numerous backcountry trails including those within the national parks there. Carolyn had a great love for animals all her life, growing up with many cats and dogs. As time went on, she and her family raised three golden retrievers. Their most recent golden, Gracie, is 14 years old. Gracie now resides with her husband, Greg, who lives in a memory care facility near their home. Carolyn's love of travel took her and her family to Hawaii, Alaska, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Machu Picchu, Peru. She joined a church group trip to Tanzania in 2008, where they helped to build a much-needed schoolhouse for a community there. That community offered to plant a garden with Carolyn near Mt. Kilimanjaro in memory of her beloved son Zach, who lost his life in 2004. She donated monthly to support education for students in Tanzania from that day forward. Carolyn's faith in God was evident and helped her get through some big challenges in her life, along with her daughter Jessie's "steadfast love." She so loved living near the ocean and truly felt God's presence there. She inherited a strong faith from her own mother, Mary, and passed this along to her daughter, Jessie. Carolyn's memorial gave all those in attendance a beautiful and lasting memory: a colorful celebration of all the lives she touched and the energy and light she gave to others. As her niece Meg said, "I think what we will most take away from this day and from her life, is the hope to carry on some of that light and share joy and flowers, as Carolyn would have done." Carolyn's passing was preceded by her brother, Emmett Morgan, Jr.; mother and father, Mary Repass and Emmett Joseph Morgan; her son Zachary; brother-in-law Jeff White; and mother-and father-in-law, Myrla and Marion Akers. Carolyn is survived by her husband Greg and her daughter Jessie; sisters Beverly Morgan and Beth Morgan-Giddings (husband Brian, niece Meg and nephew Kip); her nephew Scott Morgan (daughter Kaitlyn); her sisters-in-law Brenda Morgan and Leslie White (son Ryan); her brother-in-law Alan Akers (wife Joyce), and nephews Scott, Brent and Greg; and SO many FRIENDS near and dear to her heart. Please say a prayer for Carolyn and plant or share a flower in her memory. The family suggests donations in Carolyn's name be made to NAMI (www.nami.org), the Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org) or a donation of your choice. To share a memory or condolences, please reference the memorial website carolyn-akers.forevermissed.com.