John Howard Acken

Published 3:26 pm Friday, May 23, 2025

December 11, 1941 – April 10, 2025 – John Howard Acken passed away surrounded by his family on Thursday, April 10, 2025. John was a loving partner and husband to Elizabeth McDonald-Acken for 34 years, who predeceased him in 2011. In 2014, John moved to West Linn, Oregon, to be near family. He was a doting father to his daughters Julianna “Jules” Acken Walters (husband Joseph) and Melinda Nickas (husband Jeff) of West Linn, and a proud grandfather of his five grandchildren Madison Walters, Katherine “Kate” Walters, Grace Nickas, Lucas Walters, and John “Jack” Walters.

He was born to Howard Wesner Acken and Virginia Acken (Henry) in Port Jervis, New York, on December 11, 1941. He attended Marlboro College in Vermont, where he was lauded for his music compositions and conducting.

He went on to pursue music at Mannes College of Music in New York, but his time there was cut short when he was drafted into the US Army during the Vietnam War. Following the war, John and his first wife, mother-in-law, and daughters moved to Los Angeles, CA, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Film at UCLA. He went on to teach Cinema and Animation at Los Angeles City College for decades and was an animator for several production companies, including Hanna Barbera and Filmation. He also worked as a computer programmer for the US Department of Veterans Affairs until his retirement in 2010.

John was a brilliant, creative force. He was an award-winning filmmaker and artist. He loved music, art, running, hiking, and biking. He enjoyed hosting cocktail hours with friends, fine dining, a great steak dinner, and spoiling his grandkids with extravagant gifts. Some of his favorite adventures involved travelling with Elizabeth and their friends. He loved Hollywood and its rich history of film, television, and culture. Arguably, his favorite place was the classical music section of Tower Records on Sunset Boulevard.

We are grateful to the staff at Tanner Spring in West Linn, especially Jerry, Marty, and Katie; the staff of ENA Home Care, especially Catalina, Mitch, and Tania; Providence Hospice Care; and Dr. Emily Puukka Clark for the excellent care and kindness she provided over the years he lived in Oregon.

We ask that any donations in his honor be made to The Wounded Warrior Project. Services are being planned. He is dearly missed.