On March 17, 2026, at the age of 91, Terry was born to eternal life and reunited with his wife of 67 years, Nancy Ruth (Marsh). He was the devoted son of the late Vern and Alice Hackett and brother of the late David. Terry was the loving father of Laurie Mc Gaffigan (Steven), Aliceson Hackett-Rubel (Hal), Benjamin (Sandy), and Nathan (Kyoung). In his eyes his children’s spouses were blood relatives and they viewed him in the same light. Terry was also the treasured grandfather of Melissa Breitzman (Max), Megan Goddam (Sahithia), Casey Moore (David), Patrick Hackett (Michayla), Jason Mc Gaffigan (Kellie), Caitlin Branham (Antonio), Skie Gierach (Kari), and Kerwin Hackett. He was the caring and involved great-grandfather of Luke and Zoe Breitzman, AJ and Autumn Branham, TJ and Jordyn Gierach, and Cameron and Chloe Mc Gaffigan. He loved and kept in touch with much of his extended family, but was especially close to nephew, Joseph DLugosz; niece, Melanie Domino; and cousin, Ginny Jedda. We will all miss his infectious zest for life, his stories, and the joy he displayed in merely being with us.

Terry was born in Mokelumne Hill, California, and raised in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. As a young man he was a gifted athlete who excelled in baseball. His love of the game and organizational skills were instrumental in Lake Geneva High School establishing its baseball program. Terry was recruited by many scouts and eventually signed with the White Sox as a pitcher in their farm system. After a time, it became clear that life on the road as a minor league ball player was not conducive to raising a young family. He then began his sales career which started with hope chest items and eventually ran the gamut from selling educational equipment for 3M and Gordon Flesch Co., to a brief stint as a Cadillac salesman.

These positions took the family to different communities in central Illinois, and eventually Appleton, but by the the mid 70’s Lake Geneva was calling him/them home. Terry soon founded Living Arts, which primarily produced woodworking kits intended for occupational therapy. The 80’s and 90’s were spent in the boat business in Sturgeon Bay. Many wonderful times were had by the entire family visiting them there; just hanging out, or exploring the splendor of Door County. Each grandchild could write a book detailing their adventures at Camp Tee-Nan (Terry and Nancy).

Aside from golf and later cycling, Terry’s main hobby was art, mostly drawing and painting. With the help of a few key instructors over the years he became quite adept at capturing the facial expressions of his favorite subject, American Indians. After he moved the studio upstairs a number of his pastels and oils graced his living room walls, anyone who entered was struck by their presence and beauty of execution. Another meaningful hobby (calling really) of his was the Annual Hackett Family Reunion. His parents and uncles had instilled in him a desire to not only participate, but to serve year after year. In the late 60’s, addressing a need, Terry, then president, instituted a system of officers with specific responsibilities defined. This allowed the three day annual event to run more smoothly and is still in use today. For the past 30 years he served as the chairman of the Family History Committee. He stored and sorted archives and created photographic displays which will allow future generations to more fully appreciate their heritage. This year will mark the 147th gathering.

The skills Terry acquired in restoring the many homes he owned with Nancy over the years, led to his true calling and favorite occupations; house restorer and contractor. By word of mouth he became a sought after craftsman/carpenter and later, contractor in Door County. The fruits of his labors can still be seen in some of the log homes he lovingly and meticulously restored in the area. In their mid 70’s Terry and Nancy moved to their beloved Walworth County to be near family and slow down a bit. Their 80’s brought them to Greendale where they were son Benjamin’s next door neighbor. During this time Terry served as care giver to his dear Nancy after her bouts with uterine cancer and a stroke; a commitment he took in stride, but something all who knew them thought of as lovingly heroic. After Nancy’s passing, Terry became a member of the Greendale Community Church where he made many new friends and joined the men’s group. He was extremely thankful for his church community which helped him stay active, social, and spiritually engaged.

Perhaps the most defining aspect of Terry’s final years was his cycling. With his e-trike he logged 21,000 miles; “nearly around the world” he would point out to absolutely anyone! Terry became a passionate fundraiser and advocate for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. In his 7 years of involvement with the LLS Scenic Shore 150, he raised over $20,000. He made great friends on the trail and loved organizing rides, outings with the “Tough Hombres”, and his church group, “We Pedal”, were sources of immense joy and gratitude and truly kept him going.

Jon Terry Hackett was a man of great passion and enthusiasm. His optimistic take on daily life and its set backs was something special to behold and take heed of. He showed us love and support in extremely meaningful ways, and as an example to us all, he was making friends and engaging people with kindness and sincerity right until the end.

Dear Terry, Dad, Papa, rest in peaceful serenity with your beautiful bride, but have a ball!

Memorial service details are pending.