Alan Eason Huygens returned home into the loving arms of Our Lord and to his wife Judy on Sunday, January 25, 2026  while in the care of the Pleasant View Care Center in Whiting, Iowa.

Funeral Service will be at 1:00 p.m., Monday, February 2, 2026 at Rexwinkel Funeral Home in Akron. Burial will follow at Riverside Cemetery in Akron. Visitation with the family present will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday at the funeral home. Expressions of sympathy may be expressed to the family through www.rexwinkelfh.com .

'Owa,' as he would call himself when he was quite young and unable to say 'Alan,' was born on March 3, 1942 in Akron, Iowa above the old bank building to Adrian and Evelyn (Eason) Huygens. He was the younger sibling to his brother Donald who was born 7 years prior.

During his youth, Al spent a lot of time with his Grandma and Grandpa Eason in Alton, Iowa. He was involved with the Methodist Youth Foundation in Akron growing up, and had worked for the Hartman Brothers, as well as the Norka Theater showing movies and drove truck for the Akron Creamery hauling milk. Upon graduating from Akron High School in 1960 he enlisted in the Air Force.

In 1962 Al met Judy Myers in Sioux City and they were married on New Years Eve of the same year.

For most of his life he drove truck for various companies; Heyl Truck Lines, H&I Grain, Higman's, All American Truck Lines, Marx Distribution and Masaba to name a few, as well as having worked for Wilson Trailer in Sioux City. He also worked one summer for L.G. Everist in Hawarden, Iowa with the rerouting & channeling project of Dry Creek.

In 1974 upon the death of his father, Al took over Akron Rendering Service and over the next 26 years expanded that business from Iowa into South Dakota, servicing the area farmers, lockers and feedlots.

In 2000 he sold the rendering business, and started J&A Transportation with Judy, where he then went to work driving truck over the road with Tom Rice until Tom's passing in 2009. He then drove truck for Marx Distribution until 2018 when his wife Judy's health required him to retire and stay at home with her.

He was very proud of the fact that he had driven 3 1⁄2 million miles without a personal injury accident over his lifetime of trucking, which included runs to all of the lower 48 States, Mexico and 5 Canadian provinces.

Alan was a lifelong rail fan, animal lover and motorcycle enthusiast, having traveled with his wife Judy to Sturgis, SD over the years beginning in the early 1970's for the annual motorcycle rally taking place there, and the Black Hills was always a favorite vacation spot for them. He was heavily involved with amateur radio, obtaining an Advanced class license & was assigned the call sign WD0FOY and became a lifetime member of the ARRL. He was also a member of the Siouxland Repeater Association, and had, for some time, served as its secretary. He was a member of the Ten-Ten International Net, 3900 Club, VUCC, 5BWAS & WAC. One of the highlights of Al's involvement with amateur radio was being one of the first operators to make communication with the International Space Station in 1983- the first year NASA had implemented that program- and having received 2 QSL cards verifying contact. Al and Judy also volunteered with the Red Cross after the crash of United 232 where they assisted with communications, both having amateur radio licenses.

Al had served as Akron's co-director of Civil Defense in the 1980's stemming from his involvement as an amateur radio operator who was part of the Storm Watchers group, and he also assisted with coordinating the 1982 RAGBRAI event which started in Akron that year.

He was one of the founding members of the Akron Snow Streakers snowmobile club, and was also involved with the Akron Gun Club and spent time as an assistant Scout Master with the local Boy Scouts of America troop. He was also an occasional player in various productions over the years at Ye Olde Opera House in Akron.

If you knew Al, you know he loved to talk and tell stories, he was always quick with a joke and he could talk to anyone, anywhere about almost anything. Nobody was a stranger to Al- only friends he hadn't yet met. He knew a lot about the history of Akron, and loved living here.

Alan was preceded in death by his parents, Adrian and Evelyn Huygens: brother Don Huygens; the love of his life, his wife of 60+ years, Judy Huygens as well as his various & cherished fur friends throughout his life including: Chub, Buff, Skip, Cinders, Lucky, Maxwell, Mama and Moose. Survivors include his sons: Steve and Jeff; his daughter, Teri; granddaughter, Trinity; grandson, Aidan; cousins: Kathy and JoEllen; and many nieces & nephews.

Al was a devoted husband, a loving father & grandfather and ever-present in the lives of those he loved-he is and will be deeply missed.