Albert H. Acker of Detroit/Dearborn passed away on September 20, 2021 at the age of 80. Beloved husband of Lorenza for 54 years. Dear father of Christopher (Jill) and Alena (Jim). Proud grandfather of Mateo, Logan, and Hugh.

Al was born in Rockford, Illinois and graduated from Rockford West High School where he was active in ROTC, Student government and theatre. He graduated from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he met Lencha on a blind date. They were married on July 1, 1967 and returned from their honeymoon to the uprisings in Detroit where they stayed for 50 years, committing themselves to justice and equality in the city that they loved.

He and Lencha enjoyed a life of adventures including travelling, gourmet cooking and entertaining friends and family. Al became a father first in 1977 (Chris) and then again in 1981 (Alena) and often stated that being a father was the highlight of his life as expressed in this video

The Acker family has a longstanding commitment to the First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit where Al and Lencha have been members for decades and built lasting friendships through their active participation in the church community. Al was a member of the choir, the church board, and various committees. A poetry and music lover, Al led the Wednesday night vespers service at First UU where he often shared his writing as well as poems and songs that he loved, while encouraging others to do the same.

Al had a variety of occupations throughout his career. He started in advertising with Ross Roy, Inc. rising to the level of Senior Vice President then spent 8 years as the deputy director of communications for the City of Detroit during the Archer Administration. He founded his own company, Acker Creative Services and led communications for the dean of the Wayne State University school of social work.

Later in life, Al and Lencha moved from Detroit to Dearborn and were grateful for the community they discovered at Henry Ford Village where they enjoyed Sunday Brunch and Trivia, Music and Jeopardy together.

The common thread in Al's life is that he always enjoyed forming deep relationships, spending time with family and friends, showering them with love and generosity and especially going out for a wonderful meal.

Per Al's wishes, his body will be donated to University of Michigan Medical School for research and education so that he can continue to support academic advancement for the University that he loved, in death as he did in life. As an aside, this is the third time that Al has been accepted into UofM 😉.

A memorial service will be announced at a later time to be held at First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit.

Memorial donations in Al's honor are appreciated to the following organizations:

First Unitarian-Universalist Church of Detroit Donate (1stuu.org)

Mosaic Detroit https://mosaicdetroit.org/donate-now/

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) https://www.aclu.org/

The Actor's Fund Help our nation's performing arts and entertainment professionals in need. - The Actors Fund (convio.net)