Dorris Wendall Ake lived on Montward Road in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Annie Mae. For many years they hosted the Ake family reunion on the expansive lawn and inside their small home. Before he died, he extracted a promise from his wife that she would continue the Labor Day tradition that saw between fifty and a hundred Ake descendents gather for food and conversation. One of the highlights of the day was the moment when Dorris played the parlor organ and family members sang along. Mae kept her promise and the annual reunions continued until her death in 1996.

He was preceeded in death by a son, Dorris Wendell Ake, Jr. who died in November 1934 when he was 3 years, nine months and 26 days old. He was the son of Dorris and his first wife, Wilma Thompson Ake.

On 29 Oct 1976, the Florida Times-Union published two copies of his obituary. One was under Death Notices in Section D, page 11. The second, with the same content, was headlined, "Dorris Ake, Cowart Superintendent," in Section E, page 8, column 5.

Dorris Ake, Cowart Superintendent

Funeral services for Dorris W. Ake will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Corey-Kerlin Funeral Home North.

Mr. Ake was retired general superintendent for Cowart Brothers Builders.

He died Wednesday.

Officiating at the service will be the Rev. Barry McCullough.

Burial, with military honors, will be in Evergreen Cemetery.

Mr. Ake was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., and had lived in Jacksonville since 1915. He retired from Cowart Brothers in 1970 after being with the firm for many years.

Mr. Ake served with the 841st Aviation Engineers in the South Pacific in World War II. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

He was a member of the Organ Grinders Club of Jacksonville.

Survivors include his widow, Annie Mae Ake; three sisters, Mrs. Hazel Warren, Mrs. Garnet Andersen and Mrs. Verne Lafaye; and six brothers, Preston E. Ake, Floyd E. Ake, Forrest H. Ake, Ronald C. Ake, Samuel E. Ake and Page W. Ake.

Note: The photograph of the grave marker was taken by Carol Hoover Bierce.