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BORN

1925

DIED

2020

Barbara Ackermann Obituary

First Woman Mayor of Cambridge Dies July 4th, 2020. Former mayor of Cambridge, Barbara Ackermann, passed away during the early morning hours of July 4th, Independence Day, at Kimball Farms Nursing Home in Lenox, Massachusetts. She was 95 years old. A fierce advocate for the poor and the elderly, the disenfranchised and the disadvantaged, Ackermann spent a productive life in the service of others. She was born in Stockholm on March 1, 1925, to Joan (nee' Carrington of Christchurch, New Zealand) and Benjamin Hulley (of Deland, Florida), a consul with the United States Foreign Service. Ackermann grew up in Ireland and France before the family moved to Litchfield, Connecticut in 1941 to avoid the war while her father remained at his post in Paris. A Classis major at Smith College, she studied Greek and Latin, spoke three languages and could read four more. "I remember when we were traveling in Europe when I was young," recalls her daughter, Joan, "Whenever we would cross a border, my mother immediately was speaking the language of whatever country we had entered. I was dumbfounded." After college, Ackermann, an aspiring writer, worked as a proofreader and copyeditor in New York where she met her husband, Paul Kurt, a graduate student at Columbia University, at an Oscar Levant outdoor concert. "Under the starry summer skies," she would say. They were married in 1946. A few years later they settled in Cambridge. He pursued a Ph.D. in German literature and taught at Boston University while she continued to write as they started a family. Having two children in public school, she developed an interest in the school system and city politics. After three terms on the Cambridge School Committee, Ackermann was elected to the Cambridge City Council. During her 10 years on the council, she served as the first woman mayor of Cambridge, elected by her fellow council members in 1972. She wrote a book about her experiences, "You The Mayor?," which she dedicated to her husband and to her mother who taught her to be "a passionate advocate to those in need." "My mom had two families, ours and the city of Cambridge," said her son, Rick. "She loved them both." After a run for governor in 1978, she turned her efforts full time to promoting public health, and the groundwork she laid with a dedicated group of volunteers formed the foundation for MassCare, the state's single-payer health care system. In 1993, the adult and pediatric clinic at the North Cambridge Health Center was named the Barbara Ackermann Health Clinic for her work as member and chair of the Health Policy Board, a member of the Governing Body of Cambridge Hospital, and chair of the Womens Health Task Force. Members of the Friends Meeting at Cambridge, Barbara and her husband were Quaker pacifists and early, vocal protestors of the Vietnam War. She is survived by her younger brother, Stephen Hulley of Orcas Island, Washington; a son, Rick Ackermann of Portland, Maine; a daughter, Joan Ackermann of Mill River, Massachusetts; and a granddaughter, Jane Ackermann, of Portland. The family invites all who knew her to join in a silent Quaker Meeting this Sunday at 3:00 p.m. EST from the safety and comfort of their homes. No Zoom. No computer. Just a shared hour-long reflection/meditation on an inspiring life in the service of equal justice, health care, housing, education and opportunity for all. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to "Color of Change" an organization founded by Van Jones in 2005 which focuses on economic justice, media justice and criminal justice.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Cambridge Chronicle from Jul. 14 to Jul. 23, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for Barbara Ackermann

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Johanna Henning

January 17, 2023

Joan - I just looked your mother up on an impulse - I am sorry to hear of her passing and glad that I knew her the bit I did. Not many kids can say they grew up across the street from her! I have never forgotten her friendship with our family. and how graciously I was received into your home.

Jeffrey Danielson

September 16, 2020

Joan, My deepest condolences to you and your family at your loss . Your mother was a truly incredible woman. She was always very kind to me whenever we played together as children in that great house on Gibson Street.

Larry Wallach

July 30, 2020

Dear Joan—I did not meet your mother but feel I learned a lot about her from talking with you over the years. Having read her amazing biography I now know a bit more about how you became who you are, given the fantastic model that she provided. I hope you are consoled by the loving care and devotion you offered her in these last years, as well as by the fact that you have fulfilled in your own way the full life that she modeled.

Michael Michalski

July 23, 2020

Sorry for your loss.

Louann Harvey

July 21, 2020

Joan, I was so sorry to read about your Moms passing. You spoke of her often and I feel I knew her through your eyes. The apple does not fall far from the tree. You and your Mom are truly incredible people, with hearts of gold. Your moms for compassion will continue to shine through you.

Bill Michaels

July 21, 2020

Joan,
My condolences to you and your family on the passing of Barbara.We met at Kimball Farm Nursing when my mother Ronnie was a resident also.On our daily visits we had many interesting conversations and also a few laughs with our moms.Im sure the residents will miss knowing that you were there for them also.

Walter Sullivan

July 18, 2020

Dear, Ackermann Family, I am sorry for you loss. I have great memories of when your mother served on the Cambridge City Council with my father. Back then they may have had different philosophies, but respected one another and got along. Today's politicians could learn a great deal from your mother's book.

July 16, 2020

My Condolences To The Family;
I'm so sorry for your great loss. May the God of all comfort be with you all during this difficult time.

Richard L

July 16, 2020

I am so sorry to heard of Barbara's passing. Our family was involved in her 1960's campaigns in Cambridge. She was a strong woman, a role model and example for young women and men alike.

July 16, 2020

I am so sorry to hear about the families loss.may the families hearts ♥ be filled with wonderful memories of joyful times the family shared together with the dear loved one lost in death.As the family cherished a wonderful life that was well lived and loved by families and friends.my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families during this difficult time of deep sorrow and pain.
-GHP/LM

Michael Sullivan

July 15, 2020

To the Ackerman Family:

Please accept my deepest sympathies. Barbara touched many people and she truly cared for each of them.

I remember up to just a few years ago, she would join her fellow elected officials down the street from her home and march to the Cambridge Cemetery each Memorial Day. It was a pleasure to see her.

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Michael Sullivan

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