Keith V. Akins
December 13, 1955 – February 24, 2023
Keith V. Akins of Queen Creek passed away February 24, 2023. He was born December 13, 1955 in San Francisco, CA to John and Catherine Akins. He was employed by the Mesa Tribune where he published his political cartoons. Later on he moved on to retail where he was employed by Dillard’s as a buyer and Macy’s as a District Merchant.
The family then moved to Arizona. Keith was a graduate of Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He was in marching band and enjoyed sports such as football, basketball and baseball, as well as the occasional game of golf.
Keith loved to travel to Europe and all over the United States. Relaxation would include a meal at a nice restaurant, along with fine wine, cold beer or a Kettle One Martini. Jeeps were his soft spot, but he was partial to his Jeep Commander.
Eventually, he relocated to Illinois, where he met Cathy and fell in love and married. He then developed a love for the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears.
Keith and Cathy frequently travelled to Las Vegas and always stayed at the Bellagio, where he patiently tolerated Cathy’s love for the slot machines.
Keith is survived by his wife, Catherine (nee Truty); his three children, Peter (granddaughter, Lily), Christina and Jennifer; his brother, Vincent Akins; and countless friends and relatives who loved him dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents. Included in his life were two canine buddies, Barkley and Wallace.
Keith was a very kind, loving, generous and soft spoken man.
My husband Keith – will never be forgotten. You will always be in my heart.
In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be sent to The Parkinson’s Foundation.
A Celebration of Life dinner will be forthcoming.
Photos
Suzanne Boll 
Doug Salmi 
Cameron Solon 
Amanda 
Dan Schou 
Nancy Sheriff 
Brian B 
Sheila Almonina 
Debra Hawkes
Our dear, sweet brother-in-law Keith, you are no longer suffering, Parkinson’s free and I’d like to think having a big party in heaven with all of our relatives and pets that have previously passed. We are truly blessed that you came into our lives through Cathy. We will miss your gentle, quiet ways and your silly sense of humor. Not that long ago I was on the phone with Cathy and said goodbye to you but didn’t get a response and I thought because you couldn’t communicate but then I said, “see you later alligator” and you responded “after while crocodile”. Cathy and I almost fainted! May you rest in peace and you will be in our hearts forever. We love you very much, Suzy and Bill
May he rest in peace. My condolences for his family and those close to him.
I am truly sorry for this loss. Keith was such a sweet and kind soul. He always made you feel 10 feet tall and was so supportive. It’s hard to imagine a world without him. Sending love!
Keith, you will be greatly missed. My favorite memories with you will always be our work chats at family gatherings when often nobody really knew who or what we were talking about 🙂 You carried yourself with kindness, integrity, and with a subtle sense of humor that made you so easy to talk to. I am forever grateful for the impact you have made on my life, personally and professionally. Sending lots of love to my aunt Cathy and all of Keith’s family and friends.
Keith, you were a kind and gentle soul and my “Partner in Crime” during our time together at Macy’s. When we met, we had that immediate connection, call it an age thing, call it a maturity thing but I’ll call it a friendship thing. We were the “Home Store” Team for the Chicago North District, traveling from store to store identifying opportunities and capitalizing on them. With Keith’s keen knowledge of the “Ins and outs” of the Macy’s, we were able to make an immediate impact. With his abundant people skills, quick wit and cutting sense of humor he could command the room at a moments notice. His product knowledge and ability to retain statistics proved to be invaluable during our numerous visits by Headquarters Executives. It proved to be one of my distinct pleasures to work with and next to a man of Keith’s character, integrity and kindness. You will be missed by all that knew you.
Cathy,
Neighbors come and go but without a doubt, you and Keith were the best.
Keith, our neighbor to the left, although quiet and stoic; was always there when we needed him.
Cathy, our neighbor to the right, was always friendly and quick to chat.
How, when, and why these neighbors met was kismet. Love comes into play in the most unexpected ways and we were so happy when you took a chance with each other.
We know you both lived and loved fully with the time you had together. May your memories comfort and cheer you forever.
Sending our love to you and the family
Keith, our family parties will not be the same. We always had fun celebrating together. You were always great to chat with, you made my wife feel comfortable when meeting our family for the first time, and were always great with our dogs. We will miss you very much!
I had the opportunity to care for Keith in his last days. Although verbal communication was limited, I could tell how kind Keith was. And during this time, I’m so thankful that Cathy and I became close as if we’ve been “bffs”- always had so much fun talking and laughing every time. This is also how I knew Keith and Cathy loved each other so much. I saw how Cathy cared for him and tried to make his life more worthwhile. But one instance I’ll never forget was when I was feeding Keith and told him that the food was prepared by Cathy. I told him also how much Cathy put so much effort because she loved him so much. Just as I told him, he nodded to let me know that he knew how much she loved him. That nod also had a proud moment of saying: yes, I love her too!! I admired Keith. Just caring for him a few weeks showed the kind of gentleman he was.
Cathy, I know nothing will ever take that void for losing the live of your life. But you are a a strong woman. I admire for being so. And please always remember that you have a friend in me.
Sheila
My name is Debra M. Hawkes i am his coiusin my father was his uncle Calvin K. Akins his father was his brother. I live in Tecumseh,OK 74873.
I am sorry to find out about his passing we haven’t seen each other for along time.