Lynwood Hugo Akin

MEMPHIS - Lynwood Hugo “Lyn” Akin entered this world on Easter Sunday and left the day before Thanksgiving. He was born April 5, 1942, in Ripley Tennessee, to Kathleen Annette and Victor Hugo Akin, and died November 24, 2021, in Memphis, at age 79. Lyn tenaciously overcame many challenges, including a long bout of rheumatic fever as a child. He was not allowed to run until the age of 12. As a teenager he attended Messick High School and played guitar in the burgeoning Memphis rock and roll scene. He served four years active in the US Army, and two years in the reserve. In the 1970s and 80s, Lyn was a pioneer in the Memphis soccer community, where he coached both adult and youth teams, and worked as a professional referee in the NASL, MISL, and ASL. He and his wife, Sylvia, co-owned and operated Allan and Akin printing company for 27 years, and printed the annual Memphis Blues Festival posters. Lyn worked his entire life, pausing only to care for his beloved wife during her two-year bout with cancer. In his later years, Lyn worked as a poker dealer in Tunica Mississippi, at Gold Strike and Horseshoe Casinos, and on the Midwest Poker Tour, where he was beloved by many players and dealers. He loved music, had a beautiful singing voice and was an excellent dancer. He made terrible puns. Lyn was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and ensured his children never lacked for anything. He is survived by his children, Mark Akin of Memphis and Anne-marie Akin of Chicago; his big sister, Barbara Annette Walker, (Ripley/raleigh-durham); three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a host of friends and family who love and miss him. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to Memphis Botanic Garden, where a bench will be placed in Lyn and Sylvia’s memory.