Eugenia "Gene" Ackerman

Eugenia "Gene" Louise Bird Ackerman, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and educator of young children, died peacefully on December 13 at home in Columbus, Ohio, surrounded by her family. Daughter of Rev. Benjamin Newcomer Bird and Anne Warren Jackson Bird, Gene was born on October 23, 1924 in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. Her three older brothers included Jackson Bird, Benjamin Lee Bird, and Frederic Higginson Bird. Her identical twin sister Anne Warren Mayfield predeceased her in 2016. Gene's father, an Episcopalian minister, died when she was seven years old, and her mother died when she was 13. After their mother's death, the twins went to live with Robert Netherland Miller, a Washington tax attorney, and his wife, Elinor Dodge Miller. Gene's brother, Lee introduced her to Ken Ackerman during his military service in Washington. After their marriage in 1957, Gene and Ken moved to Columbus. Over their 61 years of marriage, they travelled to every continent except Antarctica. For some, the Galápagos is the trip of a lifetime-- Gene went twice. A graduate of Madeira School in McLean, Virginia, Gene transferred from Wellesley to Scripps College in Pomona, California. She attended Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan, and later became a nursery school teacher at the School for Young Children in Columbus, where she encouraged creative play among students. The teachers there formed an enduring bond, enjoying travels, book groups, and being together. After retiring from her teaching career, Gene took delight in being a docent at the Columbus Zoo specializing in gorillas. Gene is survived by her children Rob Ackerman and his wife Carol Weston of New York City; Lisa Jeffrey of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Sarah Gene (Sally) Ackerman and her husband Aden Evens of Hanover, New Hampshire. Their seven grandchildren are Lizzi (Matt LaCasse) and Emme Ackerman; Sarah, Robert, and Jackson Jeffrey; and Felix Ackerman and Jules Evens. Gene was proud of her heritage, particularly her mother's family whose history traces back to three Mayflower families. Ancestors include Lidian Jackson, wife of Ralph Waldo Emerson, President Chester Arthur, and Charles Jackson, a pioneer in the development of anesthesiology. The Bird Memorial Library in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, is named for her mother. Gene will be remembered for her warmth, her love of family, and her passion for young children, with whom she had an uncanny ability to communicate. She also loved cards, gardens, and dogs, including, most recently, her devoted rescue dog, Sammy. Family will receive friends on Friday, January 11, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at SCHOEDINGER NORTHWEST CHAPEL, 1740 Zollinger Rd. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11 a.m. at School for Young Children (First Unitarian Church) at 93 West Weisheimer Rd. in Columbus , OH 43214, on Saturday, January 12. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to School for Young Children or the Columbus Zoo, 4850 Powell Rd, Powell, OH 43065, in her memory.