George Simpson Ake, Jr.

After a courageous battle with acute leukemia, and 69 years of meaningful and service filled living, Retired Major George Simpson Ake Jr., MPA of Raleigh went to be with his Heavenly Father on April 8, 2015. His loving wife was with him when the Lord called him peacefully home.  He is survived by his loving and loyal wife of 45 years, Ann Dixon Ake; a son, Dr. George Ake III (Tripp), his wife who is like a daughter, Renee Ake, and their two daughters Abigail and Violet; two siblings, Wayne and Phyllis Ake; numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, dear church family members, and neighbors.  George was born June 22, 1945 in Fayetteville, NC to George Wilbur Cain and Jewell Faircloth and was adopted after the death of Mr. Cain by his step-father George Ake, Sr. who all predecease him. On February 14, 1970, George married Ann, the love of his life only a few short months after meeting on a blind date. He often spoke of how blessed he was to receive her love, care, and support throughout their marriage and especially during the time of his struggle with leukemia.  George faithfully served 35 years with the NC State Highway Patrol retiring as a Major in 1999. He then worked as a contractor for the National Institute of Justice and since March 2013 with the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets). George was active as a member of Forest Hills Baptist Church where he has been a member since 1993.  George will be remembered as someone who loved Jesus Christ, who knew how to share love with his family, friends, and new friends, who was dedicated to serving others and encouraging others in their service, who never met a stranger, and who was fair and kind. He loved to get to know others and what mattered to them and found ways to communicate regardless of if they spoke English or not. Personally and professionally he was known for his ability to help bring partners together to meaningfully serve. He wanted to leave things better than when he found them and was not afraid of change, but embraced it.  His love and gentle nature will be something deeply missed as his love for the Lord and his family was unwavering. He also had a special place in his heart for his granddaughters and spoke often about how they could convince him to do just about anything. In our life, we meet a handful of people who see the good in us and shout it from the mountaintops regardless of what others see. George will be known as one of those people… a bright spot in the lives of many…as he truly loved to encourage.  Visitation with the family will be Friday, April 10, from 6-8pm at Bryan-Lee Funeral Home, 831 Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC 27604. The funeral will be at Forest Hills Baptist Church, Saturday, April 11 at 2pm followed by a processional at Raleigh Memorial Park.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Forest Hills Baptist Church to support local, national, and international missions work.