Dr. Bruce E. Ackerman

( October 1, 1932 - August 20, 2024 ) Dr. Bruce Edwin Ackerman passed on August 20, 2024 at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska after brief illness. He was born October 1, 1932 in Fairbury, Nebraska, to Edwin B. Ackerman, OD and Mary J. Ackerman (nee McCallum). He attended Fairbury Public Schools K-12, followed by University of Nebraska for one years and a member of Sigma Chi fraternity before being drafted into the US Navy in 1952. He served as corpsman on the destroyer USS Chevalier for two years. He was honorably discharged and pursued optometric studies at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. He graduated with a doctorate of optometry in 1959. He returned to Fairbury, Nebraska in 1959 to take over his father's optometric practice. He married Lulu Pfister on April 15, 1961, to whom he was married for 63 years. To that union was born three children, Anthony E. Ackerman, Catherine A. Ackerman and John C. Ackerman. He was a lifetime member of the American Optometric Association and served as president of the Southeastern Optometric Society and was a member of the Omega Delta professional fraternity. He was Optometrist of the Year of the Nebraska Optometric Association, on the Southeast Planning Council and was the first optometric consultant for the Department of Welfare for the State of Nebraska. He started an optical laboratory, Delta Enterprise, with two other area optometrists. He retired from optometry in 1997 after practicing for 38 years. In addition to his optometric practice, he served on the District 8 school board. He was founder and president of Blue Valley Mental Health Clinic. He was a board member of the Fairbury campus of Southeast Community College. He was a director of radio station KGMT and co-owner of the Fairbury Journal News. He was a member of the following organizations: Rotary Club, Lion's Club, Elk's Club, Masonic Orders of Sesostris Shrine, Royal Order of Jesters, Kachina Club, Veteren's of Foreign Wars and American Legion. His hobbies included: amateur radio (call sign KA0FWB), model railroading, private pilot, reading history and listening to jazz and classical music. He was a lifetime member of the Presbyterian Church and was currently attending the Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church of Lincoln, Nebraska. He was preceded in death by his parents and his daughter, Catherine. He was survived by his wife, Lulu; his two sons, Anthony E. Ackerman, M.D., Ph.D. partner, Francisco Santiago, of Cape Coral, Florida and John C. Ackerman and wife, Victoria, of Auburn, Nebraska; his grandchildren, Jacob Pruett of Rhododendron, Oregon, Jennifer Braaten (nee Pruett) of Mankato, Minnesota, Samuel Ackerman of Auburn, Nebraska and Emma Ackerman of Auburn, Nebraska; one great granddaughter, Sophia Braaten of Mankato, Minnesota; his sister, Nancy Aplin (nee Ackerman); his sister-in-law, Melinda Holcombe (nee Pfister) and brother-in-law, John Pfister. Funeral service will be held on Friday, August 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church or Shriner's Children Hospital of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Gorden “Gordy” G. Sweetser

Arlo Ray Schoenrock

Related Articles

Failure To File Insurance Claim May Cost City

Looking back

Special Session Begins This Week

Governor Unveils Tax Plan