“So you will go out with joy and be lead out in peace. The mountains and the hills will burst into song before you and all the trees in the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12
Mrs. Doris Eileen Murray Akers Knight, a precious and beautiful soul, passed peacefully from this world on January 10, 2024, at St. James Place Health & Wellness Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Doris Eileen Murray was born on August 27th, 1935, in Aurora, Missouri, the only child to Wayne Raymond Murray and Mary Pauline Newcum Murray. She grew up in Aurora, Missouri with the freedom of country life. A few of her favorite early memories included a beautiful pony her father gifted to her, playing with her grandmother Mattie’s chickens and many adventures down by the creek with her numerous cousins.
Early in life she came to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior. She became very active in her local church, The First Christian Church of Aurora, in which she sang in the choir, played piano, taught Sunday school and sought to shine Jesus in her community with a servant’s heart.
Doris attended Aurora High School, where she took on every opportunity and enjoyed every moment. She was on the student council, a class representative, football queen, majorette in the marching band, glee club, yearbook committee, had leading parts in her junior and senior plays, was involved in her high school newspaper Houn Tales, and Future Homemakers of America, serving on various committee rolls. Her senior class voted her the most beautiful and the most courteous.
She remembered her time at Drury University in Springfield, Missouri fondly. She was Treasurer and Secretary for the Delta Kappa chapter of Delta Delta Delta sorority, on the homecoming court, a member of the cheerleading squad and a choir member all the while obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with high marks.
In 1956 she caught the eye of a sharp witted, handsome baseball player named James (“Jay”) Bert Akers, whom she met at a Fraternity/Sorority social. They married in 1957 in The First Christian Church of Aurora after their graduation. She loved Jay and joined him in his passion for learning and educating. They were both able to “see” untapped potential in students and committed to a lifelong journey of encouraging and nurturing students to be their best. Jay and Doris had three precious children, Jim Akers, Jeffery Akers and Julie Taylor.
She started teaching second grade at Clarence Public School in Clarence, Missouri, then, following her husband, she taught at Lamar Public Schools in Lamar, Missouri teaching sixth grade and junior high for seven years. She taught English/Social Studies at West Plains Junior High in West Plains, Missouri, before moving to Normal, Illinois where she was a substitute teacher at the Illinois State University Lab School. Following this they moved to New Orleans, Louisiana where she was a substitute teacher for all grades in Orleans Parish School system, taught Kindergarten, and pre-Kindergarten.
In 1978, Ruston, Louisiana became home to Jay and Doris for the next 33 years. During her time in Ruston, she was active in the community including assisting the Adapted Physical Education program at Louisiana Tech for special needs children from Ruston State School, assisting and counseling in her husband’s Senior Adult Fitness Program, and welcoming families to Louisiana Tech as she was a member of the Faculty Wives Organization serving as Secretary, Vice-President and Chairman of Club programs. During this time, she commenced a Master’s degree in Counseling and after she obtained this she continued on to her Specialist degree working for the Psychology department at Louisiana Tech.
As a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, she actively served in many areas with an open heart, a big smile and a casserole. She loved Choir, the United Methodist Women’s Fellowship, Lydia Circle, Sewing Circle and many other beloved groups. She cherished delving in deeper and sharing God’s Word with the ladies.
A charter member of Zeta Rho chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha International Service Organization, she served as Vice-President, Education Director, Philanthropic Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, St Jude Children’s Hospital Radiothon Chairman and fundraiser. She was awarded with many honors.
She was a loving mother that was very involved in her children’s schooling and extracurricular activities. She was known to stay up all night making hand sewn clothes and costumes, baking food for fundraisers, and helping clean up odd science experiments that had gone astray. She also treasured being a grandmother.
Her adored husband passed away suddenly at age 65, but she was kept busy dutifully and joyfully caring for her own father who had dementia until his death. Following the death of her husband, and then her father, she continued to serve her church, the community and her family with passion.
Doris was a generous, thoughtful and compassionate friend and neighbor, an avid reader, a talented artist and a world traveler (Australia, New Zealand, England, Greece, and Italy). Traveling to Australia many times, she also had the privilege to support her daughter and son-in-law in welcoming their first child.
In 2011, she moved to St. James Place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to be closer to her eldest son and daughter-in-law, and had been there ever since. She joined her family by attending the First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge. During this time, she enjoyed being close to, and hands on with, her great-grandchildren, Reagan and Zander Shugart. She made many friends and enjoyed “the campus life” at St James Place. She welcomed the company of her daughter-in-law’s parents Syd and Gail Nelson when they became residents also. At age 81 she met a dapper brilliant 92-year-old Dr. Herbert “Bert” Twombly Knight who swept her off her feet and with the blessing of her family, married. Their love story was featured in the Valentine’s edition of 225 Magazine.
She was diagnosed with dementia in late 2019 and lived the rest of her life with grace and dignity. Notwithstanding her declining health, her love of the Lord never waned as she sought solace in the thought of being face to face with her Savior.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Wayne Raymond Murray and Mary Pauline Newcum Murray, her first husband of 43 years, Dr. James “Jay” B. Akers, second husband of four years, Dr. Herbert Twombly Knight, and her grandson James “Jay” Burt Akers. She is survived by her loving children Jim Akers (Denise Akers) of Baton Rouge, Jeffery Akers of Columbia, Missouri and Julie Taylor (Joshua Taylor) of Perth, Australia, her four grandchildren, Heather Shugart (Andrew Shugart) of Gonzales, Louisiana, Chris Akers of Princeton, New Jersey, Mara Akers of Columbia, Missouri, and Jedidiah Taylor of Perth, Australia, and her great-granddaughter Reagan Shugart and great-grandson Zander Shugart.
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