Judith A. Ackerman, 75
Judith Ackerman, who had been ill for many years, died at home on Georgica Road in East Hampton on Aug. 9 at the age of 75. Her family said her health had been compromised by a number of ailments, including a heart attack and stroke.
Known as Judie, Mrs. Ackerman and her husband, Leonard I. Ackerman, had been high school sweethearts in Rochester. They celebrated their 55th anniversary last month. In 1972, they became year-round East Hampton residents when he moved his law practice here.
Mrs. Ackerman was born on Oct. 30, 1941, to the former Hortense Schwartz and Milton Paull. She attended the Rochester Business Institute and the Rochester Institute of Technology and worked as a nurse in Elizabeth, N.J., while her husband finished law school at Rutgers University. They moved to New York City in 1964, where she enrolled in the New York School of Interior Design and began a freelance career in decorative arts and interior design.
The couple’s two daughters had been born by the time the couple moved to East Hampton, and she devoted herself to being a full-time mother and community volunteer. She was active in East Hampton elementary and middle school activities and was an early supporter of the Retreat, an agency for women who are victims of domestic abuse. She worked with Enez Whipple, the longtime director of Guild Hall, and was a member of the East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society, serving on various committees.
Before her illness, Mrs. Ackerman and her husband enjoyed traveling and had made friends with people all over the world. About 20 years ago they began spending winters in Palm Beach.
In addition to her husband and their daughters, Kara Soriento and Brooke Bick, both of New York City, two grandchildren survive, as well as Mrs. Ackerman’s brother, Milt Cohen of Rochester, and sister, Harriett Montefiore of Manhattan.
A graveside service was held on Aug. 10 at Shaarey Pardes Accabonac Grove Cemetery in Springs, with Cantor-Rabbi Debra Davidson presiding. The family has suggested memorial donations to the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center, P.O. Box 63, East Hampton 11937.