Frederick Ackerman

Mr. Frederick Nelson Ackerman, 85, passed away peacefully at home Monday, October 23, 2017. He was born August 8, 1932 in Shipman, Virginia. He was the son of the late Leon Henry Ackerman and Dorothy Purvis Ackerman.

He spent his young adult life living in Georgetown, Washington, DC. He enjoyed spending time with his many cousins and relatives hunting, fishing, and enjoying his aunts' good home cooking. He took flying lessons and enjoyed buzzing around Assateague Island and Ocean City in the early 1950s. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1951, working in communications on aircraft carrier, USS Block Island. He was a graduate of George Washington University with a major in electrical engineering. He was an engineering technical writer manager, traveling worldwide for Page Communications Engineers, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, and retired in 1998.

Fred met his future wife, Rosemary Hermann Ackerman, on a blind date in Washington, DC. They were married June 25, 1955, in Lemmon, South Dakota, her home town. They were married almost 58 years until her death.  They established their family home in Wheaton, Maryland, where they raised their two daughters, Susan and Janet. Fred was very creative enjoying abstract oil painting, woodworking, and patenting many of his inventions. He was a very organized and meticulous record keeper. He enjoyed travel trailer camping with his family. He maintained his love of the ocean and sailing with many weekends spent with his family crabbing, fishing, and sailing up and down the Chesapeake Bay on his sloop "Jan-Sue".

He was an avid and active ham radio operator with the sounds of "CQ, CQ, CQ, this is W3JHN, standing by for a call" echoing throughout the home, lovingly referring to his wife as his XYL and daughters as his 2 harmonics to the people he became friends with all over the world.

Fred is survived by his two daughters; daughter, Susan Rowley and husband, Robert, and their children, Krystal, husband Josh Staub, Melany, husband Corey Rabideau, Alyssa, fiancé Armetris Williams; daughter, Janet Martin, husband Ben, and their children, Tyler, wife Katie, Chelsey, husband Marcus Holland, Emily Martin, and Layke Martin; great grandchildren Logan, Loralie, Lydia, and Lukas; along with many other dear relatives.

Fred was preceded in death and is now joined in heaven with his wife, Rosemary Hermann Ackerman, June 17, 2013, brothers and sisters, Leon, Jr., Lorraine, Margaret, George, Dorothy, and his grandson, Bradley Nelson Martin on September 9, 2007.

Visitation will be on Friday, October 27, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at Stauffer Funeral Homes, P.A., 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, MD. Following, there will be a service at 12 noon. Officiating will be Pastor Edward Heim of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Frederick, MD. Interment will follow at Resthaven Memorial Gardens.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared with the family at www.staufferfuneralhome.com.

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