Ken Eakins

February 22, 1930 – May 23, 2025

Joel Kenneth Eakins, known as Ken, died May 23, 2025 at the age of 95. He was born February 22, 1930 to Alvin Homer Eakins and Pearl (Meadows) Eakins in Ozark, Missouri. Ken was the youngest of eleven children.

Ken met his future wife, Marian LaNette McInnes, his senior year of high school. They graduated together in 1948 from Ozark High School and married August 14, 1949. As newlyweds they moved to Wheaton, Illinois where Ken attended and graduated from Wheaton College. Marian worked in the college cafeteria and later worked other jobs while Ken was in school.

After graduating from college Ken entered medical school in Chicago, Illinois. During his study, rather than being required to serve in the military, medical students were allowed to finish their education with the agreement they would serve two years after graduating. Ken graduated with an M.D. He did his internship and residency for pediatrics in Akron, Ohio. Afterwards the young family with two children at the time, went to Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama where Ken served his two years in the Army as a pediatrician.

After serving his military time, Ken and Marian and their young family of then four children, Douglas, Nancy, Sheri, and Laurie, moved to Thomasville, Georgia where Ken, Dr. Eakins, opened a private pediatric practice. After one year, Ken felt called to ministry and the family moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he began his schooling at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed three years earning his Master of Divinity (M.Div) degree, then continued to complete four more years earning his Doctorate of Theology (Th.D). During his years of study, Ken continued practicing pediatrics part time.

At the completion of his seminary education, Ken was offered the job of Old Testament professor at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, California. In 1970 the Eakins family moved to California and Ken began his career as a seminary professor teaching Old Testament and Biblical Archeology. As part of his teaching, he led multiple archeological digs at Tel-el-Hesi in Israel. He and Marian took part in managing the seminary museum where Marian, having her own degree in anthropology, worked as curator. After her death in 1990, the museum was named after her. As before, while teaching, Ken continued practicing pediatrics part time. Ken taught an adult Sunday School class at church, with Marian by his side, at Tiburon Baptist, for forty-five years.

Ken authored five books—an academic textbook on Tel-el-Hesi, and four books giving the history, chronology, and his philosophy of life.

Ken’s hobbies were astronomy, playing the flute, bird watching in his backyard, and reading.

Ken was preceded in death by his father Alvin Homer, his mother Pearl, and his siblings Paul, Oscar Eugene (Gene), Guy, Clara, Rex, Beulah, Wilburn Leo (Leo), Fay, Ray, and Jenevieve, his beloved and devoted wife of forty-one years, Marian, his son, Douglas, and his grandson, Kenneth.

Ken is survived by his daughters, Nancy (Steve) Kuykendall, Sheri (Chuck Akers) Eakins, Laurie Eakins. His grandchildren, Jason Leffingwell, Ryan (Laura) Leffingwell, Amy (Brock) Hatcher, Kameren (Chad) Owens, Kajsa Sexton, Kyle Sexton, Emily Eakins. His great-grandchildren, Kylynn, Caleb, Max, Aina, and Dylan Rose. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Ken was greatly loved and will be missed. He will be remembered for his accomplishments, his quick, ready, and bright smile, his deep love of family and friends, and that he was a man of God.