William Rockwell "Rocky" Aker

William Rockwell "Rocky" Aker was born on February 10, 1969 in Gainesville, Florida, the son of long-time Sarasota residents, James E. Aker and Jenny L. Aker. He died at the scene of an auto accident on Monday, January 16, 2017 at approximately 5:08 pm at the age of 47 (soon to be 48) as a result of being rear-ended by a drunk driver and pushed over the median into oncoming traffic on highway 70 in Bradenton, not far from his Lakewood Ranch home. Rocky was an excellent athlete from the age of 9 when he participated in Ringling Redskins football from age 9-15 as a quarterback and Little League Baseball as a catcher. Those who know sports will appreciate the leadership as well as the athletic abilities for those two positions. His Little League baseball team won the City Tournament two years in a row, with his brother Gunner on the team and his youngest brother, Dusty, as the batboy. He played four years of football and baseball at Riverview High School, as quarterback and centerfielder, graduating in 1987. He attended DePauw University in Indiana from 1987-1991 (also attended by his father and was housed in the same fraternity house as his father) where he played four years on the football team as running back and two years on the baseball team as centerfielder. His athletic ability and sportsmanship gave immense pleasure to his parents, brothers, coaches, teammates and fans. After DePauw, Rocky graduated from Life University School of Chiropractic in Marietta, Georgia. He then began his chiropractic practice in Sarasota in 1995. He started his own practice located at 2226 Gulf Gate Drive in the Gulf Gate area of Sarasota, where he shared office space with Patrick Dower, D.C. Rocky saw patients on Monday, Wednesday and Friday in Sarasota, but broadened the reach of his services by also owning a health practice in Port Charlotte, where he attended to his patients on Tuesday and Thursday of each week. He also maintained office space in Lakewood Ranch for patients who could visit only on Saturdays. Rocky's chiropractic practice will continue and chiropractors Patrick Dower will treat Rocky's patients at the Sarasota and Port Charlotte offices and chiropractor Gary Thompson will be available to treat Rocky's patients in Port Charlotte until a suitable replacement or replacements for Rocky are found. Dr.'s Dower and Thompson will treat Rocky's current patients until a replacement or replacements for Rocky are found and such treatment of Rocky's patients are expected to benefit Rocky's surviving spouse and their three children. Rocky was liked and respected by all. He was loved and admired by all whom he touched. Rocky always had smile on his face, a good sense of humor and always made sincere quality and quantity time for his patients and friends. He was a positive role model for his family, his brothers and his parents. He was in great physical shape and condition due to his workouts at the gym, running on his own and with his wife and children in adult and children's marathons and also due to his nutrition habits. He was in excellent health. Sickness and missing work was a rarity. He helped many patients with diet plans and held many after hour seminars to school his patents in proper nutrition and exercise, for whom he was also a strong role model for protecting and caring for the body, mind and spirit. He was loving, caring, giving, ran a well-organized business, intelligent, kind-hearted, hard-working and unselfish. He will be missed, but never forgotten by his family, friends and the 1000's of patients he treated over the years. Rocky provided free physical examinations to athletes and students who could not afford to pay for the examinations to satisfy their requirements to participate in youth and high school sports and to attend schools. Rocky married Kristi Markham on December 30, 1995. He is survived by her and their three children, Jared 17 (soon to be 18), Alexis 12 and Wyatt 11. Rocky is also survived by his parents, James E. Aker and Jenny L. Aker and his two brothers and their wives and children who live in Sarasota, James Gunnar "Gunner" Aker (Lisa), Dawson 17 (soon to be 18) and Madison 16 and E. Dustin "Dusty" Aker, (Gail), Chloe 8 and Carson 6. Rocky is also survived by Kristi's parents, Donna Markham and Jerry Markham and Sheila Markham and Kristi's three brothers and their families, Jason Markham and his son, Logan, Sean Markham (Erin) and their two children, Oliver 6 and Karis 3 and Mondrian Contreras (Bridgett) and Thomas and Matisse, both 9 and Aurelia, 6 months. Visitation will be held at the Siesta Key Chapel at 4615 Gleason Avenue on Siesta Key in Sarasota, Florida on Saturday, January 21, 2017 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm, followed immediately thereafter at 3:00 by a Memorial Service at the Chapel. Memorial contributions may be made to the Rocky Aker Memorial at GoFundMe.

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William Rockwell "Rocky" Aker

February 10, 1969 - January 16, 2017