Richard Ackermann

A mechanical engineer by trade and a storyteller by heart, Richard "Rich" William Ackermann was a man of distinct passions, meticulous precision, and quiet depth. He passed away peacefully at 81 years old.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the late Richard John and Helen Marie “Berry” Ackermann, Rich was raised in Deptford Township, New Jersey, graduating from Deptford Township High School in 1962.

A proud veteran of the United States Navy, Rich served as a Second Class Engineering Aid Draftsman Petty Officer with the MCB6 Seabee Battalion, completing two tours in Vietnam during the mid-1960s. For his meritorious service from June 1967 to March 1968, he was awarded a Certificate of Achievement from the United States Military Assistance Command, Vietnam, signed by General Creighton W. Abrams. It was during his military service that he penned love letters to his future wife and soulmate, Harriet May Elizabeth Youngs, whom he had met on a bus heading to work. He illustrated those letters with hand-colored Charlie Brown cartoons—a nod to a lifelong love of Peanuts that would eventually fill his home with statues and memorabilia.

Rich and Harriet married on June 3, 1967, and settled in Maple Shade in June 1969, sharing 45 beautiful years of marriage before her passing in 2012.

Rich’s professional life was defined by the ultimate precision. While working, he attended Temple University Evening College, graduating *Summa Cum Laude* in 1976 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Technology (BSMET). He dedicated his career to industry giants, serving as a Design Engineer for Sun Oil Company from 1968 to 1984, and later for Campbell Soup Company from 1984 until his retirement in 2012. His expertise as a lead engineer took him across the country, designing the massive conveyor belts that kept American industry moving.

Yet, his true north was always his family, his community, and his hands-on hobbies. A resident of Maple Shade for over half a century, he was a dedicated member of American Legion Post No. 0066. Rich approached his personal interests with an extraordinary level of focus. He was a lifetime member of the Train Collectors Association (TCA) and the Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA), amassing a museum-quality collection of Lionel and American Flyer O Gauge steam engines that occupied nearly every room of his house. If he wasn't soldering a new model train at the dinner table, he was practicing home renovation and woodworking, beautifully crafting numerous early American furniture pieces.

Rich found immense joy in the simple, tactile pleasures of life. He loved day-trip cruises as a walk-on passenger on the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, traveling to every lighthouse on the Eastern Coast, and deep-sea fishing on party and head boats out of New Jersey and Rhode Island for flounder and sea bass. He was an old-school sports fan who loved baseball—especially the Cincinnati Reds—and preferred listening to the games on the radio. He fondly remembered his favorite players, Johnny Bench, Ted Kluszewski, and Pete Rose, the latter of whom he once enjoyed a memorable 10-minute conversation with.

Known for an infectious cackle and a penchant for "dad jokes," Rich was an mainstay in his children's youth activities. He took great pride in watching his son Erich's baseball games—often serving as an umpire or Scout leader—and was a captivated audience member for his daughter Haley’s theatrical performances. In his later years, he watched old Westerns on the Grit channel and, despite claiming to hate technology, was eventually won over by the "magic" of a voice-controlled remote and YouTube train videos. He delighted in surprising his family with "Christmas packages" filled with pepperoni sticks and chocolate-covered pretzels.

He leaves behind a legacy of brilliant craftsmanship, a vast collection of toy trains, and a family who will forever remember him in his favorite blue Seabee hat, likely showing up an hour early to whatever comes next.

Rich was the beloved husband of the late Harriet May Elizabeth Ackermann; devoted father of Erich (Maura) Ackermann and Haley (Chris) Schmalbach; and the cherished grandfather of Elora May Schmalbach, Cassian Raymond Schmalbach, Bennett Buddy Ackermann, and Ava May Ackermann. He was also the brother of the late Mary Louise Toney (and her late husband, Ronald L. Toney).

Come celebrate 81 great years on Monday, June 15, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Mark Tilghman Funeral Home, 38 North Forklanding Road, Maple Shade. A funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Interment with military honors will follow at Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Wrightstown.