Larry Ackerman, 80, of Atlantic and formerly of Griswold, died Friday, August 27, 2021, at Allen Place in Atlantic.
Larry Dean was born on November 14, 1940, at home in Griswold, Iowa, the son of Ross John and Velma Augusta (Bees) Ackerman. Growing up he was very close to his grandpa, John and looked forward to spending time with him and having sleepovers. He took piano lessons and often had to miss out on being with his friends so he could practice. Rowdy, ornery, a prankster were a few words that may have described Larry as a kid and there were lots of stories to tell of this but one in particular involved the moving an outhouse, hmm. He graduated from Griswold High School in 1957.
Following graduation, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corp for six years and later the United State Air Force for 4 years. Larry served during the Vietnam War; working in communications. He was proud to be a Veteran and always shared how fortunate he was to see so many areas overseas including Japan, Turkey and Greece. Larry’s favorite by far was Japan; even climbing Mt. Fuji a couple of times.
After returning from the service, he began farming with his father, in addition to working as a Union Construction Laborer. Larry married Catherine (Anderson) Davis and lived in Griswold. They were blessed with two children, Ann and Pat.
Larry was an animal lover but his cat, Tina and schnauzer, Tiger, whom he had as a buddy for 20 years, held a special place in his heart. His ability to build things with bricks was unbelievable, making anything you could imagine including a swimming pool for the kids.
If you could sum Larry’s life up in one word it would be pool, his life revolving around when next chance to shoot a game would be, whether it be with friends or in a tournament. His name was one to watch out for not only in the local leagues but also in the surrounding states. In 1976, he built his own personal pool hall at his house which he was very proud of; loving to split wood for the wood burning stove he had installed in it.
Larry is survived by his daughter, Ann Ackerman of Griswold; son, Pat Ackerman of Griswold; granddaughter, Darci Ackerman of Atlantic; sister, Sherryl Kehm of Omaha brother, David Ackerman of Council Bluffs; and his nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents and brother, Marlin Ackerman.
Open visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, August 31st at Roland Funeral Home in Atlantic. No visitation with the family present is planned.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, September 1st at Roland Funeral Home. Burial, with military honors by the Atlantic Color Guard, will be held at the Atlantic Cemetery.
Roland Funeral Service is caring for Larry’s family and his arrangements.
