March 25, 1941 - November 26, 2021
Anthony Arthur Akelaitis (born March 25, 1941), Tony or "Mr. Ak", died on November 26, 2021 at the age of 80.
Tony and his wife Barbara blew into town in 1966 from California in a Mustang convertible, fell in love with Canada and Campbell River and never looked back.
Tony was a force of energy and his family and friends remember him as constantly moving with the most active and curious of minds, a giant laugh and unique sense of humor. He took huge pleasure in his cats, his garden, cleaning his house and his daily swims at McIvor Lake. He had a passionate and lifelong interest in history, politics and democracy and shared that passion with his family, friends, and many students. There were numerous family dinners with friends and students joining in where, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he instigated civil, raucous, respectful, and good-natured debate. He is remembered by students for his staging of mock trials and in particular the mock trial on the Treaty of Versailles. As one of his students has said, "you never wanted to miss Tony's class, it was Standing Room Only." Tony's unique gift as a teacher was finding and recognising the strengths in every student and encouraging, fostering, and supporting those strengths. He loved running into or hearing from his former students and learning about how they have thrived and been successful in life.
Tony's life, together with his best friend, wife and true partner in life, Barbara, was centered on family. He had so much pride in the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren. It was a joy to hear Tony telling stories and roaring with laughter about the antics of his grandchildren.
A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tony's name to Campbell River Partners for Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) or The Greenways Land Trust for the Beaver Lodge Lands.