Aileen Akbar

Aileen Akbar

Aileen Akbar, age 60, of Weatherford, Texas died on May 29, 2018.  She was surrounded by her loving family, and she was in the devoted care of the nurses of the VITAS Inpatient Hospice Unit at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.  Aileen battled a very aggressive Pancreatic Cancer since her diagnosis on August 24, 2017, and it was this disease that eventually took her life.

Born Aileen Ferrer in Salinas, Puerto Rico, she came into this world on February 26, 1958 to her mother, Myrtelina Rodriguez, and her father, Vicente Ferrer.  Aileen will be remembered for her tenacity and love-motivated relentlessness.  Her dedication to her family, to her students, and to her friends… (and to any stranger who needed her help!) will not be forgotten.  She was an angel among us for 60 years, and we are blessed to have known her.

As the ESL (English as a Second Language) Parent / Teacher Liaison for Weatherford High School, Aileen’s job was to maintain a consistent and smooth flow of communication among the teachers, students, and parents.  Aileen worked closely with the ELL (English Language Learner) students and their parents, ensuring that those who had not yet mastered the English language would still have a strong voice in the community.  She wanted to make sure that everyone felt included.  In addition to her job duties, Aileen frequently went the extra mile to help a student.  She had high expectations for her students, as well as her own children, and she ceaselessly pushed everyone to achieve their most ambitious goals.  She never accepted less than one’s best effort.  On countless occasions, Aileen walked students and their families through cumbersome application processes to ensure that the students’ success would not be hindered by paperwork.  It is no surprise that Aileen was nominated for and received the Weatherford ISD’s Superintendent’s Heart Award.

Aileen is survived by her wonderful husband, Nemat, with whom she was madly in love.  She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Sara (husband Dan), and son, Danny.  She will be deeply missed by her mother, Myrtelina Rodriguez; sister, Millicent Ferrer (husband Samuel); her uncle, Melvin (wife Marta); her nephews, Alex and Marcelo (wife Alejandra) and great-nephew, Benjamin.  She is preceded in death by her father, Vicente Ferrer.

A visitation will be held Friday, June 1^st from 6 - 8 PM, and a Celebration of Life service will be held Saturday, June 2^nd at 10 AM.  Both events will be held at White’s Funeral Home, 130 Houston Avenue, Weatherford, Texas 76086.

Aileen was a woman of strength, of moral value, and of great passion.  She loved fiercely and felt deeply.  An unyielding force of love, Aileen was a lioness, a mother hen, and a safe embrace.  We will all miss our “darling” Aileen.

In lieu of flowers, we invite you to please make a memorial contribution in Aileen’s honor to Project Opportunity, a scholarship program to help Weatherford High School students to attend Weatherford College.  Contributions can be mailed to: Project Opportunity Scholarship Foundation, c/o Charlotte LaGrone, 1100 Longhorn Drive, Weatherford, Texas, 76086.