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| Marion, Algie, Dad and Ruth |
Arthur Albert Ackerman Jr. of Burlington, NC was a husband,
father, teacher, woodworker and artist. He passed away peacefully on February
18, 2013. He is survived by four children, Michael of Burlington, NC; Steven (Anne)
of Madison, WI; Louise of Burlington, NC; and Andrew (Marianne) of Denver, NC;
and 9 grandchildren: Sarah, Erin, Alana, Adrianne, Ryan, Andrew, Amanda, Rosemary
and Cameron. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Lillian and daughter
Margaret.
Art was born on March 31, 1928 in Queens County, NY. He
served in the Navy from 1945 to 1948 to honor our country during WWII. He
re-enlisted in 1950 in support of the Korean War and was honorably discharged
in October 1951. While in the Navy he secured a US Armed Forces Institute High
School Diploma and entered Columbia University in 1951 despite a previous
academic record that would “reveal hooky-playing, cut classes, and general
indifference to all things scholastic.”
Art married Elizabeth Patricia Ryan on September 6, 1952 and
held a variety of jobs while continuing at Columbia part time. He and Lillian
moved to Brentwood, NY in 1958. Upon graduating from Columbia in 1960, he
taught elementary and middle school grades in the Brentwood School District for
thirty years. He jokingly said he became a teacher because, “I like children
and I like being in charge.” In addition
to teaching, he co-owned the insurance brokerage Hansen-Ackerman in Brentwood,
NY, located across the street from the train station. He enjoyed spending
family summer vacations on Long Pond near Jackman, ME. Upon retiring from teaching, he and Lillian
moved to Shelter Island, NY where they happily lived for 28 years. Upon
Lillian’s death in 2009, he moved to North Carolina to be closer to family.
Art was a talented carpenter who enjoyed building furniture
and game boards. He had a lifelong
interest in painting and drawing, and created a number of artworks that
decorated his and his children’s homes. A
voracious reader, his encyclopedic knowledge was a trusted asset in lively
conversations.
Art will be missed dearly by those who loved him. A memorial
service is planned for the spring at Long Island National Cemetery in NY.
