Rev. Tom Akers

Rev. Tom Akers, 83, of Robinson, IL, passed away on Thursday, April 2, 2026, at Brickyard Healthcare in Indianapolis, IN.

Tom was born on November 1, 1942, at home in the foothills of rural Abingdon, VA, the son of Thomas and Willie (Boyd) Akers. He grew up in Oak Ridge, TN, where his family were members of the Disciples of Christ Church, and somewhere in those early years, a calling took root in him that would shape everything that followed. After graduating from Oak Ridge High School, Tom attended Transylvania University in Lexington, KY, to study history, but it turns out God had a little more than history in mind. It was there that Tom met Vickie Lee Hebert, and the two were married on August 30, 1964, at the First Christian Church in Vincennes, IN. He went on to Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, pastoring a Presbyterian church while still a student, and was ordained in the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1969.

From there, Tom gave himself to the work. Over the next 57 years, he pastored over ten congregations. In addition, he served on committees and poured years of sweat equity into the regional church office. But the place that became home, the place where Tom became the Tom that so many people loved, was the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Robinson, where he preached his first sermon on July 3, 1977.

And once Tom got to Robinson, he never really stopped giving himself to it. He performed more funerals than anyone in the area, many of them for families who had no church home at all, walking generation after generation through their darkest doorways. Whatever a family felt they could give was always enough. That was the kind of minister he was. That was the kind of man he was. He was the kind of man people gave a nickname to, too. "Ten-Minute Tom." And he owned it. His funeral messages were tight, purposeful, and you could set your watch to them. But that was the only thing Tom ever kept short.

Away from the pulpit, the man could carry a conversation the way some people carry a tune: effortlessly and for as long as anyone would listen. Not in the way some people love the sound of their own voice, but in the way of a man who believed that a conversation was holy ground. He knew everybody, and everybody knew him. He was a staple at Judy's, where his caricature still hangs on the wall. For many in the community, Tom was the first phone call when life fell apart. During a blizzard in the 1970s, he opened the church for travelers stranded on the road and got frostbite on his ears in the process. Another time, he canceled Sunday services entirely so the building could shelter emergency crews fighting a fire. The church was never just a building to Tom. It was whatever the people around him needed it to be, because that's what he believed the gospel looked like with its sleeves rolled up.

He was known to roll up his sleeves at home, too. Tom was a skilled worker around the house, though never a quick one. He'd learned from his dad to do things right the first time, and his kids learned the same thing just by watching and helping him. He gave them more than skills, though; he gave them his time. He showed up to every ballgame, every recital, every event he could, and he hated missing the ones he couldn't. He never stopped keeping up with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and he never stopped talking about them, either. He was especially proud of Tim's decision to follow him into ministry and of Matt's 21 years of service in the Navy. Tom didn't just tell his family that family mattered. He showed them every day until they believed it for themselves. When his son-in-law, Greg, asked him recently what he was most proud of, Tom didn't hesitate: first, his family. Second, building the church in Robinson, a massive undertaking that represented years of faithful service and labor.

In retirement, he finally let himself slow down a little. He watched old westerns, Murder She Wrote, and NCIS. He loved sitting out on the porch with a cigar, just taking in the world. After Vickie's passing, he picked up pickleball, and he didn't take it lightly either. But even in those quiet years, the robe never really came off. Tom's whole life was ministry. He spent 57 years pointing people to Jesus with an unglamorous but fully faithful presence. And now, the man who walked with so many others through their darkest doorways has walked through his own, straight into the arms of the Savior he gave his life to. He is with the Jesus he spent his whole life preaching, reunited with his beloved Vickie, and held in the same grace he offered so freely to everyone who crossed his path. Tom Akers is home.

Awaiting him in glory was his wife of nearly 50 years, Vickie Akers, who preceded him in death on August 7, 2014. He was also preceded in death by his parents; his brother and sister-in-law, Harold and Joyce Akers; and his nephew, Mike Akers. He is survived by his children & their spouses, Beth & Greg Lockwood, John & Kris Akers, Mark & Sherri Akers, LSSCS Matthew Akers, and Rev. Tim & Laura Akers; his twelve grandchildren, Megan & Alex, Riley, David, Zachary, Benjamin, James, Kendall, Callen, Greyson, Tucker, and Brady; by three great-grandchildren, Autumn, Aiden, and Avery; his nieces, Cheryl & Tim Holdway and Barbara Akers; and by his close friend, Joan Summers.

A time of visitation will be held from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 9th, at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Robinson. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday at the church, with Pastors Jeff Shick, Clayton Summers, and Nan Adams officiating. For those unable to attend, a live stream of the service will be available at www.goodwinefuneralhomes.com/live-stream/live-stream. Burial will be in the Oak Grove Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Crawford County Cares, with envelopes available at the church. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is assisting the family at this time.