Robert Jefferson "Bob" Hack III

HACK III Robert Jefferson ("Bob") Hack III, of Leawood, Kansas, passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on July 11, 2009, following a battle with pancreatic cancer that he waged with grace, courage and humor. A 4th of July baby born in 1937, to Roberta C. and Robert J. Hack II in Newburgh, NY, Bob made it a point to enjoy life with the family he held so dear and with his many friends. Bob fondly remembered his childhood years in Newburgh, expressing admiration and appreciation for the values instilled by his parents, and love for his younger brother and sister, Jon and Wendy. An inveterate sports fan, Bob's love of basketball began with his buddies in Newburgh schoolyards and gymnasiums and later found expression through his enthusiastic and boisterous support of Jayhawks basketball. Always intelligent - and often a smart aleck - Bob thoroughly enjoyed his college career, from challenging studies and professors to bonding with fraternity brothers to competing in intramural athletics. He graduated from Hobart College in Geneva, New York in 1959, and it was during Bob's Hobart years that he met Nancy Cameron, who became the love of his life. On June 18, 1960, Bob married Nancy Wright Cameron and together they raised three children: Robert, Cameron and Catherine. Bob and Nancy's career and family path began in upstate New York and Bob's job with W.T. Grant took him to numerous posts in New York and Pennsylvania, culminating as a district manager in Kansas City in 1971, which is when Bob brought his family to Leawood. In the mid-1970's W.T. Grant went out of business, facing Bob and Nancy with a life choice: move the family back to the east coast and continue his retail business career, or stay in Kansas City and change careers. Even though his career to that point had been devoted exclusively to retail management and even though Bob and Nancy had spent all but five years of their lives on the east coast, the wishes of their children and the warmth of Kansas Citians proved irresistible. Bob began selling real estate for Jay's Realty, then moved into real estate management, first with J. Lester Brown and then with Jay's Realty and, finally, serving as a consultant for Coldwell Banker in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. First and foremost, Bob loved his family, with special fondness for his grandchildren - Alexa and Kyle Webber and Celia and Miranda Hack. He also loved sports, his dogs (Bob loved them all, but Rudy, Echo and most recently, Star, were three of his favorites) and lifelong learning, and he also loved his work, maintaining full and active employment well past his 70th birthday, stopping reluctantly only after pancreatic cancer sapped his strength too much to travel on the job. Predeceased by his parents and brother, Bob will be remembered and loved by his wife Nancy; his three children and their spouses, Rob (Laura Starr), Cam (Rose Hack) and Catherine Webber (Scott Webber); his four grandchildren, Alexa Webber, Kyle Webber, Celia Hack and Miranda Hack; his sister, Wendy Jones; and friends across the country too numerous to count. Bob's family would especially like to thank the many friends who provided so much support since his diagnosis in March 2008. Your visits, phone calls, cards, letters, and entries on Bob's Carepages website warmed, comforted and engaged him and us greatly, easing a difficult time and demonstrating that Bob had lived his life well. Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, July 20, 2009, at the Unity Church of Overland Park (10300 Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS, 66212) where Bob was a member for many years. Please join us after the service for a celebration of Bob's life. In lieu of flowers, the family would suggest memorial contributions in Bob's name to any of the following: Unity Church of Overland Park, 10300 Antioch Road, Overland Park, KS 66212; Kansas City Hospice, 9221 Ward Parkway Ð Suite 100, Kansas City, MO 64114 (www.kansascityhospice.org); Turning Point, 8900 State Line Road, Suite 240, Leawood, KS 66206 (www.turning pointkc.org). Turning Point, the Center for Hope and Healing, offers tremendous services to individuals with serious or chronic physical illnesses, and family members. Since Bob's diagnosis, his weekly visits with his Turning Point support group, led by Liz, provided immeasurable support. (Arrangements: Cremation Society of Kansas and Missouri, 913- 383-9888.