Facebook photo from WDIV.
Sportscaster Al Ackerman, a fixture of Detroit TV for decades, died Monday of natural causes at his home in Florida, he was 90.
Ackerman worked at WXYZ in the 1970s and alongside alongside Bill Bonds, Marilyn Turner and John Kelly and went on to Channel 4 where he coined the on-air phrase "Bless You Boys," for the Detroit Tigers.
A private funeral was held. Instead of attending a memorial, the family says Ackerman suggested that people take their family to the ball game, WXYZ says.
His family released this obituary, WDIV reports:
Devotedly by his side was Terese Ann, his wife of 40 years. He is also survived by daughter Suzanne McGlone Drake (husband Stuart and grandson Evan) of Great Falls, Virginia; daughter Trudy McGlone (granddaughters Lauren and Leah Draland) of Chicago; and sister-in-law Mary Handleman (husband Philip) of Birmingham and Oxford, Michigan. He was preceded in death by son Michael.
Al was a fixture in Detroit sports journalism and television broadcasting for many years.
As the longtime sports anchor at the area’s leading television stations, he was noted for his lively and fair reporting, characterized by a twinkle in his eye, a lilt in his voice, and usually a nod to the underdog. His thought-provoking commentaries captured the real news behind each story.In connection with the Detroit Tigers, Al coined the memorable rally cry 'Bless You Boys that stuck with the team through its 1980s losing streak to eventual World Series triumph.
He was not afraid to stand up for what he felt was right and always called it like he saw it. One of his greatest honors was his induction into the Michigan Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
