Obituary: Ethel (Dillon) Ackey

MADISON - Ethel Ackley passed away peacefully on Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007, at Harbor House in Middleton. She was born in Madison, on July 21, 1926, daughter of Edmond Stone and Bridget (McKinley) Dillon. Ethel attended Madison Central High School. As a young woman, she worked at the telephone company and then spent more than 20 years working at Central Wisconsin Center. She loved caring for disabled children before completing her career in the nursing office. A loving wife, mother and grandmother, Ethel will be remembered for her warmth, love for animals, sense of humor and singing around the house. She enjoyed travel, especially to Las Vegas with her husband, Jim, reading and visiting with her large extended family. Ethel is survived by her children, Diane (Michael) Weiner, Robert (Susan) Ackley, and Richard (Jamie) Ackley; grandchildren, Christopher, Michael (Rebecca) and Timothy Ackley, James Engber, Ariel (Ryan) Malia, and James Ackley; eight great-grandchildren; a sister, Mary Ellen (George) Flatman; sisters-in-law, June Stone and Marion Stone; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 48 years, James Ackley; her parents; sisters, Elizabeth Jane, Helen, Patricia and Beverley; and brothers, John, Joseph and Thomas. A memorial service will be held at GUNDERSON EAST FUNERAL HOME, 5203 Monona Drive, at 11 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 15, 2007, with the Rev. Steve Zwettler presiding. Visitation will be at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Burial will be at Resurrection Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to HospiceCare Inc. or the Madison Public Library. The family wishes to thank her Harbor House caretakers, the wonderful Hospice staff, and the Dean East Clinic staff, especially Dr. Jennifer Black. Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Centers 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420

Originally published in the Wisconsin State Journal on October 14, 2007