William D. Akard

William “Bill” D. Akard, 68, of Topeka died on July 8, 2023, after a short battle with cancer.  He was born June 24, 1955 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Bill moved to Topeka at age seven and lived in the area most of his life.  He was a 1973 graduate of Royal Valley High School in Hoyt, Kansas and went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1992.

Bill was reunited with those loved ones who preceded him in death, his mother, Ruth; stepfather, Robert Zimmerman; father, Donald Akard; and brother, Brian Zimmerman.

Bill lived a full and eventful life but cherished his role of loving and protective father and grandfather the most. Although he was known as somewhat of a curmudgeon, those who knew him knew the generosity of his spirit and his love for his family.  He worked hard and retired from Mainline Printing in 2021 and still maintained close friendships with many co-workers.  Bill was an accomplished artist and loved working on paintings on a large and grand scale.  You could find many of his paintings adorning the walls of his home and the homes of his loved ones. He was an avid walker, he loved to read and was a KU sports fan.

Bill leaves behind his son Andrew  Akard (Trisha), step-son Matthew Jones (Terra); granddaughter, Taylor Akard; sisters, Bobbie Golder (Charlie), Donna Lambrecht (Randy), Judy Edwards (Jim), Kaye Holthaus (Ken), Sandy Carter (Larry); brothers, Anthony Zimmerman (Rae), Jeff Zimmerman (Brenda), Duane Zimmerman (Connie); stepmother, Deloris Akard and many nieces, nephews and cousins.  He will be missed by many.

A celebration of life will be held at 6:30 pm on Friday evening, July 21st at Davidson Funeral Home.  The family will receive friends following the service.  Memorial contributions may be made to the Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library. www.davidsonfuneral.com .  To view Bill's funeral live click here.