David Ward Akins

The youngest of four children, David endured the torture of two older brothers and a sister, and, in turn, they endured him. David was known as a little rounder. Growing up behind Noccalula Falls, David hunted in the woods with his dogs, bringing home his game for his mom to cook. He was curious and loved to learn, loved taking things apart and figuring out how they worked and spent Sunday afternoons reading the family’s set of encyclopedias.

At the age of 15, David looked across the school cafeteria at Emma Sansom High School and saw the girl he knew would be the love of his life. That young lady was Linda Walley who he would be married to for 50 years. They married in 1975 in his parents’ home while he was serving in the U.S. Air Force. David began working at Goodyear and, after becoming a father, worked his way through school, earning his accounting degree from Jacksonville State University. He was a retired CPA with a history of accomplishments which included his service with the Examiners of Public Accounts and his roles as the Chief Executive Officer of Etowah County and the Chief Financial Officer of the Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind. David was an Auburn football-loving, golf club-wielding, one-of-a-kind guy. His gregarious personality was uplifting and always elevated the mood of any room he entered. More than anything, he loved being “Diddy” to his four children and “Paw Paw” to his seven grandchildren. He passed onto them his love for God, his passion for music, and his sense of humor.

David is preceded in death by his parents, Grady and Mary Akins, and his brother, Craig Akins.

David is survived by his wife Linda, their four children, Amanda Fant (Scott), Lori Smith (Zane), Matt Akins (Leslie), and Katie Marie Montgomery (Kevin), his seven grandchildren, Zander Smith, Victoria Fant, Anna Fant, Shepherd Smith, Nate Fant, Rowan Smith, and Finley Montgomery, his brother, Bruce Akins, his sister, Donna Hagedorn, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to Amedisys Hospice.

A visitation will be held at Collier-Butler Funeral Home, located at 824 Rainbow Drive, Gadsden, Alabama, on Saturday, December 6, 2025 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The funeral service will follow at 12:00 p.m.

In the words of his brother, Bruce, “Heaven just got to be a funnier place.”