William “Bill” Scott Akers
Published January 8, 2006
William ‘Bill’ Scott Akers died Jan. 8, 2006, on Vashon. He was 41 years old.
Mr. Akers was born May 17, 1964, in Seattle and raised in Berkeley, Calif.
He moved to Vashon to experience quality of life rather than focusing on quantity. He loved life on Vashon, just skipping from business to business visiting with friends, working on his home, and being with his family.
Bill understood the meaning of “Island time.”
Friends and family say he was generous and caring and that he chipped in to help whenever he could and was always available. He also loved riding his motorcycle, tinkering with mechanics, dancing, and listening to music.
After studying the arts at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz in the early 1980s, he became a stone carver and traveled around Europe studying various traditional styles. In Italy he was introduced to blown glass and returned to California to study glass with renewed interest at the California College of Arts and Crafts. He moved back to Seattle in 1994 to set up his own art glass shop.
He’s best known for his creation of whimsical goblets and candlesticks, but he also made aquatic-like chandeliers, botanical fountains, garden art and table ware.
Akers’ work is displayed at Terrance McBride Designs on Vashon, Vetri in Seattle and Tacoma, Glass House Studio in Seattle, and was included in numerous glass exhibits nationwide.
In his spare time, he was a production designer for the Glass Eye Studios in Seattle.
Survivors include his wife Emily Burns of Vashon and step-daughter Mára of Vashon, surrogate parents John Malork and Mary Laird of Berkeley, and their children.
There will be a public celebration of Akers’ life at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Grange Hall (north end parking lot).
The funeral and burial will be private on Vashon.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor can be sent to Vashon Youth and Family Services or the Vashon Island Pet Protectors.
Funds for the family can be deposited in the benevolent account set up at Washington Mutual under Emily Burns and Family.