Bryce William Ackerman

1953 - 2021

Bryce William Ackerman

Bryce William Ackerman was born on September 6, 1953, to Philip and Ruth Ackerman and grew up in Coral Gables, Florida. He was the middle child of three boys and was life-long friends with his brothers, Bob and Brandon.

He moved to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida for undergraduate school, where he met and married his beloved wife of 45 years, Cathy. She was his best friend and lifetime partner. In the Fall of 1972, the pair spent three months driving around Europe together in his bright orange MG Midget. The two were inseparable since. They were married in Chicago, Illinois, on June 19, 1976. In lieu of a honeymoon, the two road tripped from Chicago back to Gainesville, for Bryce to resume law school classes.

Bryce also attended the University of Florida for law school. After graduating, he and Cathy settled in Ocala, where they both enjoyed long and successful legal careers. Bryce was a gifted trial lawyer and always loved his work. Eventually, his parents and two brothers moved to the Ocala area as well to be closer together. For the last 30 years, his family spent every Sunday at family dinner at his parents' beloved lake house on Lake Kerr.

Bryce had two children, Katie Austin and Philip Ackerman. In many ways, both Katie and Philip were only children, having been born 14 years apart. Philip was born when Bryce and Cathy were in their mid-forties, and Bryce routinely referred to Philip as the best surprise of his life.

A man of many interests and always up for an adventure, Bryce was a voracious reader, a talented chef, a prolific traveler, an Italophile, and a great lover of the outdoors. He was an avid snow skier and enjoyed backpacking, first on the Appalachian Trial, and later on a grander scale in the American West with his son Philip. He loved the outdoor industry so much, he and his brother Bob bought, and Bob ran, an outdoor store, Bransingston's Adventure Outfitters, in Gainesville. He loved spending time with his brothers, including on numerous trips to Italy. In 2017, after recovering from a bout with neuropathy caused paralysis, Bryce accomplished a one day, rim-to-rim hike across the Grand Canyon. He golfed weekly since moving to Ocala and played with the same foursome for much of that time. To keep busy during COVID, he hiked the Florida Trail in Marion County.

It's hard to express how much he meant to all of us who knew him. He had a keen gift for maintaining life-long friendships. He remained close with friends from all of the phases of his life, from high school, college and law school, to his current and former law partners.

Bryce passed away peacefully on August 5, 2021, surrounded by his family after a short journey with lung cancer. He was predeceased by his father Philip Ackerman, Sr. He is survived by his mother, Ruth Ackerman of Lake Kerr, wife Cathy Ackerman of Ocala, children, Katie Austin (John) of Saint Petersburg and Philip Ackerman of Gainesville, brothers Bob Ackerman of Gainesville and Brandon Ackerman of Ocala, niece Lauren Perry (Dustin) of Ocala, and granddaughters Gwen and Julia Austin of Saint Petersburg. The family is planning a celebration of life in the near future.