Vernon Adkison Passes Away

Funeral services will be held Monday at 11 A.M. at Marianna Chapel Funeral Home with First United Methodist Church Wesley Center as their location.

Steve Adkison is best known for his acting career; playing the part of an unhinged vicar in Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) as well as providing voice work for Zazu in The Lion King (1994). Steve Adkison enjoys having many relatives and friends around the globe.

Early Life and Education

Vernon Adkison stands out as being an unconventional gold miner, known for giving 110% in every aspect of his job and expecting nothing less from his crew. Additionally, Vernon has become well known for making quick decisions when purchasing or leasing new dredges.

He graduated with honors from Russellville High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in speech and theater from Arkansas Tech University, completed graduate studies at both Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kentucky and Fuller Theological Seminary in California, and has served churches in Indiana, Arkansas and Missouri.

He currently serves as Provost at EOU and oversees academic affairs with an annual salary of $175,000; his term at EOU will end after spring semester 2019. Yvonne and Elaine are his daughters while Stephanie Dimino is Stephanie Dimino’s stepdaughter.

Professional Career

As Amy Taylor Adkison’s husband and a father of two daughters, he is passionate about God, family, friends, nature and animals – particularly birds! – as well as finding treasure in everyday things. Additionally, he holds strong beliefs in university education and public service as the means for creating an ideal world for his daughters to grow up in.

He is an esteemed actor, appearing in several movies and TV shows such as Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), the Lion King film adaptation (1994) as the red-billed hornbill voiceover artist and as Mr. Bean himself in 1997 comedy series Mr. Bean (1997).

Pastor and church administrator in Indiana, Arkansas and Missouri. Additionally he holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary as well as Fuller Theological Seminary respectively.

Achievement and Honors

Adkison has made significant contributions to EOU during his years of service, overseeing academic programs and initiating innovative new initiatives like Eastern Promise. He strongly champions community partnerships, and strives to ensure higher education is accessible to all.

He graduated high school with highest honors, earning all As in Advanced Placement classes. Later he enrolled at Jacksonville State University and the University of Alabama.

He earned his Master of Divinity degree at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary and his Doctorate of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Since then he has served as pastor in Indiana, Arkansas and Missouri; has pilgrimaged twice to Israel and enjoys family, friends, nature and animals as well as collecting art and antiques.

Personal Life

He enjoys fishing, aviation, motorcycles and reading in his free time, along with spending time with family and friends as well as travelling and playing music.

Betty Adkison passed away peacefully at home surrounded by their two children: Kent David Adkison and Kimberly Jo Leach; six grandchildren including Granger Weston Giesenschlag with Gerald as husband; three great-grandchildren. Additionally he leaves behind many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends across the nation.

Steve is currently the provost at EOU, overseeing academic programs. He’s been there nearly four years. Steve will remain at EOU through spring semester before leaving to take up a similar position at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas where he’ll earn the same $175,000 salary that he currently enjoys at EOU.

Net Worth

Discovery channel star of Bering Sea Gold, estimated to be worth an estimated $2 Million, is the owner of Wild Ranger Dredger and made approximately $125,000 during season one and $140,000 during season two. He collects dredges, modern equipment and uses more expensive than conventional mining techniques for gold extraction.

His daughter Yvonne appeared as a dive tender on the show before she was arrested for drug-related crimes in 2014. Since then she has changed course and now owns a hair salon in Nome; Elaine works alongside their father, making their debut appearances in 2012 on the series and making regular appearances thereafter.