Doris A. Brett

Doris Ann (Ackerman) Brett, beloved mother and grandmother, passed away peacefully on September 15, 2025, at the age 97, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Doris was born in 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey. While still a baby, her family moved to Montclair, which became her hometown. She graduated from Montclair High School in 1946. Over the next few years she worked at Hahne's Department Store and attended Katherine Gibbs School. She then worked in a law firm and an advertising agency in New York City. Later, she worked as the bookkeeper for the Athletic Department at Montclair State University.

Before her marriage, she was involved in the Carousel Club and Montclair Ski Club. She met her wonderful husband, David Brett, through the Montclair Ski Club, where they shared fond memories of skiing at Mad River in Vermont. Doris was an active member of Union Congregational Church all her life. She served in many different positions, including teaching in the Learning Centers and being a Deaconess. She ran the committee that provided receptions after funerals and memorial services for over twenty years. Doris and David were also members of the Fifth Club, a couples club, for many years. In her later years, she was an active member of The Women's Club of Upper Montclair, where she served on the board and led many committees.

No one can think of Doris without thinking about her love for sewing and many types of handwork. She sewed her own clothes, clothes for her daughters, and clothes for their dolls. She also did cross stitch, embroidery, and knitting. Her home and the homes of family and friends contain many examples of her beautiful work.

She is survived by her daughters: Linda (John) Dorf and Susan (Richard) Palatini; her grandchildren; Randy (Sarah), Carolyn, Dave, and Brett; her sister, Jean Thyren; and many nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. She is predeceased by her husband, David Brett, and her parents Frank and Ruth Ackerman.

A Celebration of her Life will be held on Saturday, November 8 at 11 am at Union Congregational Church, 176 Cooper Avenue, Upper Montclair, New Jersey. All who knew her are welcome to attend and celebrate her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.

Her memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved her and were loved by her.