Thomas Hackett

Thomas Hackett, 61, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family after a courageous battle with a sudden and brief illness. Thomas was born January 13, 1962 to Barry and Luise Hackett in Lincoln, Nebraska. He was a child of the United States Air Force, and lived in New England and Germany before settling in Lakewood, Washington, where he spent the rest of his childhood and adolescence. After graduating from high school, Thomas joined the Air Force himself, where he would proudly serve his country for twenty years as a radar technician and later a budget analyst. It was in the Air Force that he would meet his future wife Carol, and they were married in 1986. Although they later divorced, they remained connected through the three beautiful children they shared, Brittany, Andrew and Courtney. Through a later relationship, Thomas acquired a “bonus daughter”, Tessa. He welcomed her into his life and they forged a lifelong bond.

After retiring from the Air Force, Thomas went on to work as a Budget Analyst for the National Weather Service and later as a Rates Manager for the United States Department of Energy. He took a great deal of pride in his work and was an expert in everything he did. His generosity, kindness, intellect and tireless work ethic endeared him to everyone he worked with.

Outside of his work, Thomas was first and foremost a father. He was committed to providing his children a loving home, full of fun and adventure. He was heavily involved with the Boy Scouts of America as a Scoutmaster, leading camping trips and countless other activities and projects. When he became a grandfather, he dove into the role headfirst. Always kind and patient with children, this was especially true when it came to his grandkids. No matter what he was doing, he would drop everything to get down on the floor and play with the little ones. Thomas was especially passionate about holidays. He loved fireworks on the Fourth of July. In November, he would host an early Thanksgiving dinner to ensure his family could come together without missing out on any other family obligations. Every December, you could count on his home to be resplendent with Christmas lights bright enough to be seen from around the block. October, though, was something else entirely.

You cannot tell the story of Thomas Hackett without talking about Halloween. If you were lucky enough to know this man, you knew that Halloween occupied an absurdly large amount of space in his mind and heart. It wasn’t just the sprawling, terrifying array of lights, sounds and props that dominated the neighborhood from September through October. Thomas thought about Halloween every day of the year. In April, he would be sketching designs for a new animatronic, remote-controlled creep. All summer, he would be bent over his workbench, putting together something new and horrible to frighten and delight the hundreds of trick-or-treaters that would stream through his “House of Scattered Brains” on Halloween night. There were gargoyles, skeletons and countless props all over his house, no matter the season. His grandson took to just calling him “Papa Halloween”, and loved helping his grandfather plan and set up his massive haunt. It got bigger every year, and family and friends were conscripted into Halloween service, to operate props and scare the life out of those brave souls that would make it to the end and receive their (full-sized) Snickers bar. Thomas always tried to ensure he was there to greet everyone that came through so he could receive the accolades of the frightened members of the community.

Thomas loved sports. He loved to play every sport he could and he was fiercely competitive about all of it. He was an avid runner, and competed in marathons and various long distance running events across the country. He enjoyed bowling, skiing and softball. He loved to watch baseball and football especially, and his love for the Boston Red Sox and Nebraska Cornhuskers knew no bounds. He was a smartass of the highest order, sarcastic with a lightning-fast wit and a wonderful sense of humor. He was undoubtedly a cynic, but underneath that was an idealist with an unwavering sense of ethics and a moral compass that guided everything he did.

Thomas is survived by his daughters Brittany (Tim), Courtney (Kyle), Tessa (Kelby), his son Andrew (Ginger), and his grandchildren Oliver, Ian and Kaezlyn. He is survived by his father, Barry, his brothers Jay and Robert (Brenda), and his sister Melissa. He was preceded in death by his mother, Luise.

Thomas loomed so large in so many lives, from colleagues to friends to family. His passing creates a hole that can never be filled. His absence will be felt forever in the hearts of everyone who loved him and whom he loved in return. In time, the pain of his loss will be soothed by the lifetime of happy memories he left for all of us. There will never be another quite like him.

A celebration of Thomas’ life will be held at Leavitt’s Mortuary 836 36th Street Ogden, Utah on June 19th, at 6:00 PM.