Deborah Ann Hacker

As her brother we had our moments. When we were younger, she was the boss, when older we talked more to each other than ever. I was grateful to have gone down to visit her before she passed. All of our love goes out to her spirit and those she left behind.

I first met Debi in 1986. My boyfriend, Michael, and I were stuck in Charleston with no place to stay. He called his sister in law, Debi, to see if we could bunk with her. She immediately said yes and took me into her home, no questions asked. She was so friendly and made me feel comfortable right away. The more I got to know Debi over the years, the more I loved her. She adored cats and calmly got me through more than one kitty emergency. Her work with her husband, Michael, at the Chicora Foundation was always a source of pride for me. They were typically working together to make sure people weren´t forgotten. She gave me an autographed copy of her book, Iconography of Death, and it is one of my most cherished items. Another is an amazing quilt she made for our wedding. Definitely one of the absolute coolest items I own. It has a giant skull pattern with references to our relationship sewn all through. Her talents seemed endless. It always makes me feel special when I´m wrapped in it on cool winter days, usually with a cat or three on top. I´m still processing that she´s gone. It´s hard for me but I know much harder for her family. My thoughts go out daily to Mike, Natalie and Amelia. We love you guys!

I am lucky to know Debi almost all my life. She babysat me when I was little and would always remind me of the time that she made me macaroni and cheese and added more cheese, as requested, but somehow I had a problem with the specific color of cheese that was added. Despite this initial kerfuffle, Debi forgave my extreme brattiness. In the years since, Debi has given me the most precious thing anyone can give: her time. During her many trips to Florida, Debi and I would talk and she would share her ferocious knowledge and kind, open wisdom that helped me so much more than she could possibly ever know. One of my favorite things about Debi is her dark and twisted sense of humor. Her laugh, the glint in her eye and the way that wry smile creeped across her face when either she or someone else had said something especially sardonic is how I like to picture Debi in my mind. And when i do picture that smile, it makes me a little happier that I have been lucky to have had the chance to come into Debi's orbit and I am better for it.

hey mom deb i miss u so much even doe i just met u in April but u became family to me i just wanted u to know and i love u. Tia

Seeing Debi come in to my job was always the greatest highlight of my day. Debi treated and loved me the way I had always desired to be loved and treated by others. She treated me like family. Nearly every day she´d bring me little trinkets whether it was flowers from her garden, sections of the New York Times, or all the straws and tv dinner trays I could carry. She always made me feel special. I could talk to her about anything and everything without fear of judgement. She always had the best advice and the coolest stories to share. Her life was one of adventure and experience one could only dream of having. I think of her every day and will continue to put her into my thoughts and actions in the future. I love you, Debi.

My first memory of Deborah was when I first met them when Mike and her came into the place I worked and saw such a sweet person and she was just an awesome person over the time Mike and Deborah became my family and I love them both so much

I have many memories of my mom, I can't pick just one, but at one point my school had an outdated history text-book and I pulled out my home copy of it one day and asked Mom, "What is a shell-ring?" Mom asked why I asked, I told her my history teacher told the class "No-one knew what a shell-ring was.'' She promptly laughed and told me what it was. Then she asked me to listen very carefully to the ''history" class and when I got home She would give me the correct History lesson. I love you Mom
Natalie

I was friends with her daughter Nat in college, and I remember Ms Debi was so very kind! I had not yet finished my Nursing degree and Debi suggested I volunteer with Sistercare; she opened my eyes to a whole new world!
I daresay she was an inspiration to everyone who knew her!