Leonard William Ackerman

West Brookfield - Leonard "Lenny” William Ackerman, 88, of West Brookfield died on Friday, December 18, 2020 at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge. Born in Springfield, MA, he was the son of the late Lourston and Marion (Murphy) Ackerman.

Known by his family as “Pops,” he is survived by his wife of 68 years, Joan (Moquin) Ackerman. Having met at the age of 14, Joan and Lenny shared a true life-long relationship over six decades with adventure at every turn.

In addition to his spouse, Lenny leaves behind his beloved daughter, Deborah (Ackerman) Maagero and her husband Ray Maagero of Suffield, CT; two grandchildren, Ashley Maagero Lee and her husband Jeffrey Lee of Boston, and Michael Maagero of Waltham; as well as two great grandchildren, Christian and Harrison William Lee, the second of whom bears his name.

Lenny had an incredible zest for life. He loved history, boats, cars, Boston sports teams, and reading the daily newspaper. Lenny celebrated every holiday to the fullest and enjoyed spending winters in Florida with dear friends. There, he proudly participated in many costume parties for various events. Lenny had a wonderful sense of humor and his gregarious personality could be seen and heard from across any room. He never shied from sharing his opinion, especially on political matters, for which he had a particular affinity.

His grandchildren were fortunate to spend much of their childhood and adult lives with Lenny at their sides. He frequently cheered on the sidelines at their many sporting events, hosted parties for the children and their friends, and enjoyed weekends at the lake filled with boat rides and water skiing, along with many winter breaks spent together in Florida.

Whether rescuing a sinking boat or painting a room, Lenny was the first to reach out to lend a helping hand – but no one ever had to ask, he was just there. Lenny spent countless hours pulling water skiers at American Water Ski Association events, and, for those who wanted to "hit the ramp" at optimum speed, he was the man!

Lenny worked for the Monsanto Company and then owned and operated The Village Store in Wilbraham before retiring in 1989. He was a United States Navy Veteran of the Korean War and a member of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in West Brookfield, where he attended mass every Sunday.

The family will miss Lenny’s bright blue eyes, big spirit, and warm smile. They thank the staff at Mount Auburn Hospital for their incredible and compassionate care in his final days.

A celebration of Lenny’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Joslin Diabetes Center, Inc., One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02215, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), ),  https://secure.aspca.org/donate/, and the American Heart Association, 300 5th Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451.

Varnum Funeral Home, Inc., 43 East Main St., in West Brookfield is assisting his family with arrangements.

An online guest book is available at varnumfuneralhome.com.

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