Delores Ann Akins Fleming

Delores Ann (Akins) Fleming, devoted her life to healing others as a Radiological Technologist and later brought beauty to many homes through her passion for interior design, passed away at home on December 4, 2024 in Savannah, Georgia, the city where her story began.

Born to Doris and Euel Akins, Delores demonstrated early academic excellence, graduating with honors from H.V. Jenkins High School and Memorial Hospital School of Radiological Technology in Savannah. Her professional dedication became a hallmark of her character, matched only by her adaptability and resilience.

Her journey through life was enriched by a love that spanned over sixty-four years with Gerald P. Fleming, Sr., CAPT USCG (Ret.), whom she married as a young woman in Savannah. Together, they embarked on an adventure across America, creating a warm home in every city they called their own—from the historic streets of Savannah to the bustling ports of San Francisco, from the vibrant culture of New Orleans to the corridors of power in Arlington VA. At each stop, Delores built a successful career in medicine, touching countless lives, especially through her work in radiology.

After retiring from healthcare, Delores embraced her creative passion, partnering with her daughter to establish a successful interior design business in Thomaston, GA in Feb 1987 when Gerald was called to active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard in Miami, Fl. She gracefully closed this chapter of life and in April 1989 when they relocated to Washington, DC where Gerald was assigned to the USCG HQ in Washington, DC, and where they spent the next twenty-six years in the metro DC area. In 2015, answering the call of family, they returned to Georgia to care for her elderly father, eventually settling back in her beloved Savannah in early 2019.

Delores embodied a rare combination of strength and tenderness, independence and devotion, intelligence and humility. Her greatest joy was caring for others, whether patients, clients, or, most importantly, her family. She approached every role in her life—professional, creative, and personal—with unwavering dedication and grace.

She leaves a legacy of love through her husband, Gerald, and their three children: Cynthia (Fleming) McDonald (Mark) of Warm Springs, GA; Gerald P. Fleming, Jr. (Shelly) of Orangevale, CA; and Michael K. Fleming, Sr. (Terri) of Savannah, GA. Her sister, Brenda Davis, (Arthur) of Pooler, GA, who will carry on her family’s traditions.

Delores’s joy multiplied through her nine grandchildren—Amanda (Trice) Davis (James), J. Sawyer Trice, Allyson Fleming, Brandon and Jeffrey Gerringer, Michael Jr. (Cheyenne), and Matthew Fleming, Jocelyn Lanoue Kennard (John), and Jennifer Lanoue. Her three great-grandchildren—Emma, Charlotte, and James Will Davis—brought special delight to her final years.

She joins in eternal rest, her parents and her beloved sister, Carolyn (Akins) Rogers.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, December 16, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church.

A private family inurnment will follow in Bonaventure Cemetery. 

Visitation will be held on Sunday evening, December 15, 2024 beginning at 4:30 p.m. with a Rosary to follow at 5:15 p.m. at Baker McCullough Funeral Home, Hodgson Memorial Chapel.

Memorial contributions: mail to ALSAC/St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis TN, 38105.