Alfred H. “Rusty” Ackerly, 80, of Yorktown Heights, New York, passed away peacefully on August 17, 2026.
Born on February 18, 1946, in Huntington, Long Island, Rusty was the son of the late Wilbur and Doris (Larsen) Ackerly. He was raised in White Plains, New York, and graduated from White Plains High School with the Class of 1964 where he was a champion gymnast. He later continued his education at RCA Institute of Electronics, studying electrical engineering.
Rusty went on to enjoy a 35-year career with IBM, where he worked as a project manager in disaster recovery before retiring.
More than anything, Rusty loved being surrounded by family and friends. He had a gift for making everyone feel welcome and genuinely enjoyed bringing people together. His home was often the gathering place for family reunions, holidays, backyard barbecues and countless other occasions that created memories his family and friends will cherish forever.
Rusty especially treasured time with his children and grandchildren. He loved watching them grow, being involved in their lives, and simply spending time with them. Among the simple pleasures that brought him the most happiness were growing up spending summers on Cape Cod, fishing, lunches with friends, and, of course, telling his famously silly “Dad jokes”. He was an avid sports fan who enjoyed watching the Mets, Yankees and Giants as well as NASCAR races.
Rusty also believed strongly in giving back to his community and helping others. In his younger years, he served as a volunteer firefighter and treasurer of the Irvington Fire Department. He delivered Meals on Wheels and later traveled to New Orleans to help victims in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His generosity, kindness and willingness to help others were constant throughout his life.
Rusty is survived by his wife Susan (Washko) Ackerly of Yorktown Heights; his daughter, Carrie Ackerly Carlson, and her husband, Tom, of Holden, Massachusetts; his son, Michael Ackerly, and his wife, Paola Manganiello, of Yorktown Heights; and his eight beloved grandchildren, Nicholas, Ryan, Kacie, Danielle, Andrew, Abby, Ella and Luca.
He is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth Ackerly of Ocean Ridge, Florida, Abaco, Bahamas; his sister-in-law, Michele Parodi, and her longtime partner, Matt Quintiliano, of Brookfield, Connecticut; as well as his nephews Joseph and Brian Parodi and their families.
Rusty will be remembered most for the way he made people feel — welcomed, included and loved. His devotion to his family, generosity toward others, sense of humor and enjoyment of simply being together will live on in the many memories shared by those fortunate enough to have known him.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Rusty’s memory to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research or the American Heart Association.
