Rev. William S. Ackerman

(Asbury Park Press)

REV. WILLIAM S.
ACKERMAN
AGE: 98 LAKEWOOD
William S. Ackerman passed away Thursday, April 8, 2010, at Harrogate in Lakewood, NJ. He was born December 5, 1911, in Glen Ridge, NJ, graduated from Newton High School in the Class of 1929, Bloomfield College in 1934, and Princeton Theological Seminary in 1937. He was ordained as a Presbyterian minister at the Greenbush Presbyterian Church in Greenbush, NY on May 21, 1937. His career included serving as Pastor at the Greenbush Presbyterian Church in Blauvelt, NY from 1937 to 1942, as an Army Captain and Chaplain from 1942 to 1946, which included among other posts service on Tinian Island, Japan, and as Assistant Pastor at The First Presbyterian Church in Orange, NJ from 1946 to 1950. He was the founding pastor of the
Livingston Presbyterian Church in Livingston, NJ serving from there from 1950 to 1983. Following his retirement from Livingston in 1983, he served as a Minister of Visitation at the Presbyterian Church of Toms River from 1984 to 1999. He was active in the both the Presbytery of Morris and Orange and the Presbytery of Newark serving in many capacities including Moderator, Vice Moderator and Director of Summer Conferences. He also served on the Livingston Council of Churches and Livingston Clergy Association, and on the board of trustees of the Synod of New Jersey and Bloomfield College.
He was a member of the Holland Society of New York, the Sussex County Historical Society and was a charter member and chaplain of the David Ackerman Descendants. His hobbies included world travel, gardening, stamp collecting, history and genealogical research.
He was predeceased by his wife, Virginia, of 52 years and his wife, Dorothy, of 16 years. He is survived by his son, David and his wife Eleanor of Florham Park, NJ; his daughter, Margaret of Athens, PA; five grandchildren, Wendy Dickerson, Steven Ackerman, William Ackerman, Carrie Carroll and James Donald Jr. and eleven great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to either The Endowment Fund of the Presbyterian Church of Livingston, NJ, or to The Ackerman Endowment Fund of the Presbyterian Church of Toms River, NJ.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 24, 2010, at 11 a.m. at the
Livingston Presbyterian Church, 271 Northfield Rd., Livingston, NJ 07039. Interment will be in the church memorial garden.