Anne Hunter Ackley

Anne Hunter Ackley, 77, passed away on February 16, 2026, surrounded by her beloved family. She was famous for her megawatt smile, her ready laugh and her generous spirit. 

Born in Philadelphia in 1948 to William and Emilia Hunter, Anne was the second of six children raised among a vibrant Italian-Irish extended family which included a mere 37 first cousins. She grew up in Philly, going to the shore in summers, and seemingly existing on a diet of water ice and soft pretzels. After graduating from Archbishop Prendergast High School in 1966, she earned an elementary education degree from Saint Joseph’s University and a master’s degree as a Reading Specialist from Temple University. 

While pursuing these achievements, Anne met the love of her life, Philip Ackley, her co-worker at Gimbels Department Store. For 54 years, she lived out the wedding vow she took from Ruth 1:16: “Where you go, I will go” even when it meant moving to metro Detroit in 1977. She was fiercely protective of her "Mr. Wonderful" as she called him, and together they built a generous, outward-facing life. Phil and Anne continued their long habit of working together, this time teaching together at Southfield Christian School (SCS) in Southfield, Michigan. Anne served as the reading specialist for 30 years until her retirement in 2017. She was invested in the progress of every single child in her classroom, and she brought creativity and attention to every lesson — arriving with props, food, new stories and whatever else it took to make something come alive. She celebrated every flicker of new confidence and every breakthrough. The halls were filled with her laughter.

Also a fantastic cook and baker, Anne loved to feed people and many of their friends had standing invitations for weekly dinners. She also loved to house people. A little jokey “No Vacancy” sign hung in the mudroom of their home, and it earned its place there. Over the years, international students from Nigeria, Thailand, Japan and Germany lived with the Ackleys. And so did people healing from divorce, people in transition, between homes, and between chapters. They were all treated exactly like family, because to Anne, they were. 

Anne was a voracious reader and consumed information with the appetite of a hard-hitting journalist. Her favorite way to spend a Sunday afternoon was with a cup of tea, a bowl of popcorn, and The New York Times spread out around her on the living room floor. She loved musicals, the BBC, Masterpiece Theatre, PBS, the Canadian channel, and NPR. She was political in the best sense: her three daughters grew up learning not only to pay attention to the world but their impact on it. She was a lifelong feminist and environmentalist, and she had a gift for spotting injustice quickly and raising a ruckus over it. Like her curiosity, her mercy and generosity knew no end. 

Her faith was the foundation of everything, and she participated in every Jesus thing there was: Sunday school, Bible studies, Sunday night church, Wednesday night church, VBS, summer camps, potlucks, nurseries, all of it. She prayed through her prayer list every morning and every night without fail. And what was true at church was true at home: she showed up for everything — every basketball game, every track meet, every cross-country race, every recital. Even all-day volleyball tournaments, and anyone who has sat through one of those knows exactly what that kind of love looks like. 

But since 2003, nothing lit Anne up more than her grandchildren. So in 2020, it came as no surprise when Phil and Anne sold their beloved home of 47 years and moved to Grand Rapids to experience the joy and freedom of multi-generational living under one roof with Bethany’s family and the gift of Kerith’s family just a few streets away. Anne truly couldn’t believe her luck. Here, she could fully indulge in her limitless desire for all things grandchildren. She learned football because her grandson Josiah loved it, and she marveled every time her grandson Zeke played one of the dozen instruments he’d taught himself. Each night she cherished her granddaughter Ruby waltzing into her bedroom and sprawling out on the bed while Anne peppered her with questions. Anne took great pride in extracting every piece of information and life detail she could from her granddaughter Raya during their nightly Jeopardy watch parties. She never missed a living room gymnastics performance from her granddaughter Vorra. And every morning she hoped for a photo of Harvest and Jericho from Carmel. Even after a stroke in 2020 left her wheelchair-bound, her energetic love for her grandchildren kept her choosing to get up every morning. 

Anne is survived by her beloved husband Phil, and their three daughters and one son by choice: Bethany (Chris) Ackley-DeBlaay, Kerith (Jon) Ackley-Jelinek, Carmel (Beau) McCarthy, and Sarut Jianrattanasawat — and by seven grandchildren: Raya, Ezekiel, Josiah, and Ruby; Harvest and Jericho; and Vorra. She is also survived by her siblings: Bill (Jeannie) Hunter, David Hunter, Janet Hunter, and Margie Hunter, and by her many beloved nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents and her older sister, Mary (Hunter) Knapp. 

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2026, at 1:00 PM ET, at Alger Park Church, 2655 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49507. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Anne’s honor to: Southfield Christian School, 28650 Lahser Rd, Southfield, MI 48034.