Obituary of Fred Stanton Ackerman
Fred Stanton Ackerman, born on October 7, 1938 passed away on Sunday, September 16, 2018 surrounded by his loving family. Fred was the son of the late Mollie and Harry Ackerman of McKeesport, Pennsylvania.
Fred grew up in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and attended McKeesport High School and the University of Pittsburgh. In 1960, Fred was drafted into the US Army where he served at Fort Knox. In 1963, he began his legal studies at Albany Law School and after passing the bar examination in 1967, he began his legal career at the law firm of Ungerman and Harris, which later became Ungerman and Ackerman and is now Ackerman, Wachs and deArmas.
Fred had several passions. He loved practicing law. He was a fierce defender of all his clients and protected their rights to the fullest. Fred also taught criminal law at Hudson Valley Community College and enjoyed passing his knowledge of the law to other lawyers while lecturing at various Continuing Legal Education seminars.
Fred loved sports and would often be found watching/sleeping in his favorite chair. He was a diehard fan of all of Pittsburgh teams and would certainly let you know if they beat your team of choice. Fred enjoyed coaching and was the basketball coach at Milne High School as well as an umpire for Albany Babe Ruth. He was an avid and skilled golfer. You would often find him on the golf course. Fred was a member of various local country clubs and was the former President of the Board of Directors of Shaker Ridge Country Club.
During the summer, you could always count on seeing Fred at the Saratoga Flat Track. Fred also loved spending the winter months in West Palm Beach, Florida, playing golf and soaking up the sunshine at Ibis Golf and Country Club.
Fred is survived by his beloved and devoted wife, Harriet; his daughters Sheri Townsend (David Canfield) of Glenmont, New York; Pamela Ackerman-Garcia (David) of Fanwood, New Jersey and Julie (Andrew) Safranko of Slingerlands, New York; and his brother Stuart (Jenny) of Cincinnati, Ohio. Fred was also the proud grandfather of Shelby (Kory) Asher and Alex and Mackenzie Townsend; Brandon and Joshua Garcia; and Alexis and Chad Safranko. He was also the great grandfather of Emilia Asher. Fred is also survived by his sister-in- law and brother-in-law Susan and Al Volo; his mother-in-law Shirley Cohen and several nieces and nephews.
Services will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, September 18th at Congregation Beth Emeth, 100 Academy Road, Albany. Following services, Fred will be laid to rest at the Congregation Beth Emeth Cemetery in Loudonville. The family will greet people directly after the funeral until 5pm and on on Thursday, September 20th from 6:30 to 9:30pm at the Ackerman residence. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Fred in a special way may make a memorial contribution to the American Heart Association or Congregation Beth Emeth.
