The son of Eugene and Joyce Moore Eakins, he was born June 21, 1955, in Grinnell. He was raised in Montezuma and attended school there. He was married to Denise Schmidt on May 14, 1976, in Grinnell where the couple also made their home. They were later divorced. On June 24, 1989, he was married to Diane Lyman, at Herrick Chapel in Grinnell. The couple lived in Grinnell, where he was self-employed for many years operating a motorcycle repair business and did snow removal in the area. Survivors include his wife, Diane of Grinnell; his mother, Joyce of Silver City, New Mexico; three daughters, Lindsey, Chelsea, and Ashley Eakins, all of Grinnell; three brothers, Mike of Grinnell, Doug of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Jack of Des Moines; and three grandsons, Evan Eakins and Owen and Eli Bryan, all of Grinnell. He was preceded in death by his father.