David Ackerman

December 10, 1947 - January 21, 2022

David M. Ackerman died of cancer on January 21 at home in Claverack in the company of family. He was 74. An accountant and businessman locally for more than 50 years, he was until recently principal of Karp, Ackerman, Small and Hogan CPAs, PC as well as founder, partner or shareholder in numerous other businesses. David served as mentor to an untold number of people in businesses small and large, and always said that his goal in life was to help other people. He delighted in being known as The Macher—a Yiddish expression for a person who solves problems and gets things done. Colleagues and clients remember him as creative, protective, funny, curious, perceptive, and indifferent to public recognition for his good deeds. He was also known for not mincing words, delivering definitive judgments in a gruff but gracious way. He had a remarkable capacity to turn everyday encounters into personal exchanges in a way that made clients, service people, and even IRS auditors into friends. Even as a medical patient he was on a first-name basis with virtually all his doctors and their staffs and was privileged to have their personal cellphone numbers. Intrigued by technological innovation, he was an early adopter of multiple generations of Apple products and was founding partner of YouThisMe, LLC, which holds international patents on unique solutions to protect personal information in social media applications, and in data transferred between patients and doctors. He took special pleasure and pride in the accomplishments of his daughter Claire, who also served as coordinator of his medical care in recent years. Born December 10, 1947 in Parkchester, The Bronx, on his mother’s birthday, he was the son of Sarah Meisner and Nathan Ackerman. He and his sister Harriet moved to the family farm in Greenport in 1953, where he attended Hudson City schools, graduating in 1965. He went on to receive a B.S. degree in accounting from the University of Bridgeport in 1969. Following college, he joined the accounting practice of Morton J. Glickman in Hudson where he worked for the next 52 years, shepherding the firm’s growth through several name iterations, eventually opening satellite offices in Albany and Saratoga, NY and Berkshire County, MA. Other businesses included serving as partner of one of the first computer consulting companies in the region in the 1980s, Encore, which specialized in custom software for major corporate clients through 2017. He also operated an insurance premium financing company, PPP, for 10 years in the early 2000s. He met his wife Teresa Phillips in the accounting office and they married in 1975; their daughter Claire was born in 1979. A football fan throughout his life, he was a dedicated Jets supporter. As a golfer he was a member of Columbia Golf & Country Club, where he served on the board of directors, and Seagate Country Club in Delray Beach, FL where he maintained a second residence. At Columbia he founded the Hackerman Tuesday Golf League. He was a longtime member of Congregation Anshe Emeth in Hudson, and also of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New York State Society of Public Accountants. David is survived by his wife Terry and daughter Claire in Claverack; sister Harriet in Greenport; his uncle Jack Ackerman, 94, of Delray Beach; and by numerous cousins. A graveside ceremony is set for 2 pm on Monday, January 24 at Cedar Park Cemetery in Hudson. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions can be made to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital (630 W 168th Street, New York, NY 10032); Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065); Dana Farber Cancer Institute (450 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215); or Congregation Anshe Emeth (240 Joslen Blvd., Hudson, NY 12534).