Charlene Karen (Ross) Acker, 57, of Gloucester, wife of Dennis J. Acker, passed away peacefully early Sunday morning, October 17th at the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers with her favorite Christmas music playing. Charlene was born in Gloucester, MA, on January 21, 1964, to LeRoy W. and the late Carolyn T. (Santos) Ross. She was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Good Voyage Church and was married there to her husband Dennis on May 4, 1991. She grew up on Gloucester's Portuguese Hill neighborhood and was a graduate of Gloucester High School, Class of 1982, where she was fourth in her class and received the Sawyer Medal award. The Sawyer Medal award is a long-standing tradition to honor academic excellence. She also enjoyed playing the Bag Pipes. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Assumption College in 1986. After graduating, Charlene entered the corporate world, working for State Street Bank in Quincy and then for Gloucester Bank & Trust. When Maya was a student at St. Ann School, Charlene worked many positions there until it closed in 2013. Charlene was an overachiever whose passion for success was fueled by her grit and determination. Charlene enjoyed the annual summer vacations on Cape Cod with family, traveling, decorating the house for EVERY holiday, and attending Celtics games with Dennis, Maya, and Papa. Her greatest joy was becoming a loving and devoted Mum to her daughter Maya Xian. Bringing Maya Xian home from China in 2002 was the greatest achievement of her lifetime. The bond between Maya and Charlene was a bond that was an inspiration to our entire family and will never be forgotten by any who witnessed it. The bond grew stronger during this past school year as UConn converted all classes online due to COVID-19, which meant more time together at home. What a blessing. Charlene’s caring demeanor, big heart, and her ability to always be there for family and friends will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her. In addition to her husband Dennis of 30 years, daughter Maya Xian, and father LeRoy, she is survived by her Godchildren Derrick Rowe, Ryan A. Melanson and Kierra Krause; along with many cousins, some of which she lived and traveled with and were more like brothers to her. Charlene was predeceased by her mother, Carolyn T. Ross, in 2009, a loss that no one close to her ever got over, especially Charlene. Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church on Saturday, October 30, 2021, at 10:00am. All attendees are required to wear face coverings during Mass. Family and friends are cordially invited to attend. There will be no visiting hours. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to her family. The family will be donating in her memory on her birthday in January 2022. Arrangements by the Greely Funeral Home 212 Washington Street, Gloucester. Condolences may be given online at www.greelyfuneralhome.com