Ralph Anthony Akin, a faithful husband, devoted father, special brother, and loving friend to many, entered into the arms of his Heavenly Father on August 9, 2021, ultimately winning the three-year-long battle with cancer. He was born in Sherman, Texas on November 22, 1954, to Bobby Don Akin and Janice (Corbin) Akin. He was 66 years old.

Ralph met the love of his life, the former Lisa Matthews, in 1978 while they were both working for Wendy's in Sherman, where Ralph was an assistant manager. Lisa questioned the sanity of his leadership abilities as her boss when he assigned her the job of helping him clean the windows in the freezing cold. She threw a bucket of water on the windows, and Ralph then used the squeegee to quickly remove the ice that had already formed. Despite her doubting the necessity of that chore, Lisa obviously saw something redeemable in Ralph because she agreed to marry him. On October 22, 1983, Ralph and Lisa were married, and they began a love story that has lasted 37 years.

Ralph is survived by his loving wife, Lisa, who has fiercely battled with him and has tenderly cared for him. Also surviving are daughter, Jessica Vu and husband Donnie, and son, Anthony Akin, along with Ralph's pride and joy, grandson, Jack Vu. Other survivors are three sisters, two sisters-in-law, one brother, and four brothers-in-law, numerous nieces and nephews, and a multitude of good friends.

Preceding Ralph in death are his parents, Bob and Janice Akin; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Jim and Deloris Matthews; and Ralph and Lisa's infant son, Corbin Jim-Bob Akin. Other family members preceding Ralph in death are his brothers-in-law, Jimmy Matthews, Alford Matthews, and Chris Matthews as well as a special niece, Nicole Chapman. Ralph is also preceded in death by his very special friends and brothers-in-Christ, Tim Crews and Dennis Baldwin.

At the age of twelve, Ralph accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and was baptized at Tyrone Baptist Church, Tyrone, Oklahoma, thus beginning a life-long walk in his Christian faith. During his college years, Ralph credits the influence of Bro. Bud Jenkins of First Baptist Church, Caddo, Oklahoma, and John Heath, the director of the SOSU Baptist Student Center, for his continued spiritual growth. Ralph was an active member of the former Cooper Creek Baptist Church in Denton where he was ordained as a deacon and was known for his quiet faith which displayed itself in his consistent actions. It was also there that Ralph formed lasting friendships with countless like-minded people. Ralph more recently attended Redeemer Church in Denton when his health allowed.

Ralph was educated in various schools around the state of Oklahoma, with his family moving frequently. He graduated from Thackerville High School in 1973, where he was involved in a variety of school activities. In May of 1978, Ralph received his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Safety from Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, Oklahoma.

Ralph recently retired from Reding Advertising in Denton where he was known for his strong work ethic. He believed that no matter what one's job, "A job worth doing is worth doing right." which is a philosophy that has been passed down from previous generations of the Akin family.

Ralph enjoyed many hobbies including listening to 70s soft rock music and particularly  the music of James Taylor. Consequently, he and Lisa have attended numerous James Taylor concerts.They also enjoyed traveling to Colorado, one of their favorite destinations. From there they often took side trips to Wyoming, South Dakota and other "nearby" areas. But they also took numerous day trips or weekend trips where they explored, using some of Ralph's other favorite hobbies, which were photography and 'taking shortcuts' through country back roads. One of their favorite short trips was to travel along Route 66 which usually led to a stop at Pops for a stash of unique soda pops. Another hobby, of sorts, was going with their "Tribe" which was a sort of dinner club, to eat at the Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives r estaurants. In recent years, Ralph has enjoyed taking walks with his grandson, where Jack has picked up on some of his granddad's favorite expressions such as, "Okie Dokie" and "Are you serious?" During these walks, Ralph would share his infamous stories and his well-known Moose joke, undoubtedly told between outbursts of his infectious laughter.

Ralph took great satisfaction and pride in his family, and especially in the accomplishments of his two children, Jessica and Anthony. He taught them many invaluable life lessons through his words such as "Work hard, but don't take things so seriously." But making an even bigger impression were the lessons he taught through his actions. Once he had gone to pay their electric bill and found a lady outside the building who was crying. He asked her if he could help and found out she had no money to pay her almost $200.00 bill and her electricity was about to be disconnected. After finding out her name, Ralph made some phone calls to get her some help and it wasn't long until he returned to the office and paid her bill. Another time at a Quick Trip, he visited with a man who was down on his luck and needing a job. Ralph quickly provided several contacts, an application, and gave his name to the man as a reference. Ralph had a servant's heart and would help anyone at any time.

Ralph lived by the admonition of Jesus in Matthew 22: 37-39 which says, "'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and the greatest commandment. A second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" In addition to Ralph's deep, abiding faith which granted him grace and peace in recent months, possibly the biggest legacy that Ralph leaves behind is his ability to express genuine love and form lasting friendships with people of all ages. Over the years, he has become an Honorary Granddad to around 200 of Lisa's students. He has maintained friendships with several who were classmates in high school. Many of his closest friends were from relationships established during college, particularly from church and from the BSU. His adult friends from church truly became more like brothers to him. Ralph understood what was important in life, and it was NOT silver and gold or other worldly possessions.

Visitation will be Friday, August 13, 2021, from 5:00-7:00 P.M. at DeBerry Funeral Home, 2025 W. University Dr., Denton, Texas. The funeral service will be on Saturday, August 14 at 10:30 A.M. at Hope Community Church of the Nazarene, 3600 Kings Row, Denton, Texas. James Matthews and Aaron Matthews, nephews of Lisa, will be the officiants. Burial will follow at Cooper Creek Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Ralph's nephews, Matt Smith, Daniel Norman, Stephen Norman, Michael Mays, Marshal Lee, and Mason Lee. The family has respectfully asked that masks be worn during both the visitation and the funeral service.

It is with much gratitude that the family wishes to express their appreciation to the staff of Trio Hospice for their compassionate care of Ralph. Also, they are forever thankful for the love and support from extended family, many friends, and their special "Tribe" during this difficult journey.

Because of the impact of the Southeastern BSU upon Ralph resulting in lasting friendships and much growth as a person, as well as spiritual growth, the family suggests donations to the SOSU BCM Building Campaign. Donations can be made in Ralph's memory and mailed to the following address: SOSU BCM Building Campaign, Finance Office, 3800 N. May Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73112. Online donations can be made by visiting oklahomabaptists.org/sosu-bcm.