Gwendolyn Akers

Gwendolyn Leatrice Akers, aka “Nana”, “Booba”, or “Aunt Gwen”, was an extraordinary woman with a profound faith in God, a generous heart, a role model for wives and mothers, and a believer in the family as the bedrock of society.

The daughter of John Sidney Monies and Beatrice Christian Monies (nee Geri), she was born in Birmingham, Alabama and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. She was predeceased by her husband, Charles Adell Akers, and her son Charles Adell Akers, Jr. Survivors include four children: Sydney Christina McRae (Bruce), Michael Dee Akers (Janice), Charlene Lorraine Akers, and Scott Joseph Akers (Rae). Her siblings include: brothers Sydney Francis Monies (d), William Riley Monies (d), John Sydney Monies, Jr. (d), and sisters Gloria Monies Reiley and Bernice Lucille Burmaster.

Nine Grandchildren: Laura Rose Adams, Tracy Elizabeth McRae, Charles Lee McRae (d), Colin Bruce McRae (d), Joseph Christian McRae, Matthew William McRae, Cristina Leigh Fleming, Daniel Everett Akers (d), and Brianna Lynn Hart.

Eleven Great-grandchildren: Jake Akers, Jacqualine Adams, Richard Thomas Adams, James McRae, Cooper McRae, Campbell McRae, Atom Harbison, Zoey Fleming, Gwendolyn Hart, Nathaniel Hart, and Lillian Hart.

Gwen was one of the stalwart Navy wives during WWII. Pappy was serving in the South Pacific Theater and Gwen kept the home fires burning. She made the adjustment to country living in 1957 when the family moved to the then extremely rural Arlington area along Fort Caroline Road. Her innate good humor may have been strained from the dogs, cats, horses, the goat (named Billy Butt), Charlene’s flying squirrel, snakes, gopher turtles, baby possums, and armadillos the kids had for pets. Any child that visited, whether one of the numerous nieces and nephews or just the random friend; Gwen welcomed them all.

She was an active and contributing member of Resurrection Catholic Church. She was a staunch Pro-life advocate and, even in her 80’s after surviving non-Hodgkins lymphoma, she would participate in the Pro-life marches. She was a supportive Boy Scouts mother and somehow tweaked the budget for tuition to put all the children through Bishop Kenny High School. She was an inspiration to us all in the way she coped with death and life and always keeping her faith foremost.

Your stories and memories are most welcome.