Barbara Hackett, a New York City native and longtime resident of Chatham Twp., NJ, died Nov. 8, 2021 in Franklin, TN., after a brief illness. She was 80.
Gregarious and sassy, always ready with a joke or a song, Barbara was born and raised on W. 136th St. in Manhattan and attended Annunciation School and the Academy of the Sacred Heart. Among the crowd of neighborhood kids she palled around with was William Hackett, who lived two blocks away. They were married on Oct. 22, 1960. She was 19; he was 21.
The couple settled in The Bronx and then Upper Manhattan before they moved to Chatham with their four children in June 1972. Over the next four decades, they planted deep roots in the community, where Barbara raised her family, worked a variety of part-time jobs, and befriended legions of her children’s pals. At the Hackett house, the radio was always playing and Barbara was always ready to make some hungry teenager a sandwich.
She cherished her family and friends, never gave up on the Knicks and maintained an abiding passion in music. From her cherished 78’s of classic doo-wop to her original copies of all the Beatles albums, Barbara devoured pop music, embracing the sounds of successive generations. She was still turning up at Bruce Springsteen concerts well into her 70s, and was in the stands when Greta Van Fleet hit Nashville in 2019.
In 2015, Barbara and Bill moved south to Wilmington, N.C and then to Franklin, TN to be near some of their children. Her death came amid her sixth-month battle with endometrial cancer.
Barbara’s love, whether as a wife, mother, grandmother or friend, was enthusiastic, all-embracing and unconditional. She will be missed, but never forgotten.
Barbara is survived by Bill, her husband of 61 years; Sons Larry, of New York City.; Colin, of Spring Lake, NJ.; and Paul, of Nashville, TN; and daughter Christine, of Fairview, TN.; son-in-law Chuck Plante and daughter-in-law Megan Hackett, and 8 grandchildren Alexandra, Michael, Henry, Stella, Alistair, Ainslie, Liam and Sara.
Plans for a memorial service in New Jersey next month will be forthcoming.
WILLIAMSON MEMORIAL FUNERAL HOME, 615 794-2289 williamsonmemorial.com
Having worked for Barbara for years, I will truly say it was a pleasure. How She put up with me and my nutty ways is a testimony to the fabric of both Barbara and Bill. The Hackett’s are a big part of my life, and I will never forget how well I was treated .Eternally grateful, John Kelly