Jean Edith Speck Hackett

On the morning of August 10, 2023, our beloved Jean Edith Speck Hackett passed away peacefully. Jean was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on January 24, 1934, to Carl Milton Speck and Eva Lavon Speck (nee Pickett). After Jean graduated from East High School in 1952, she would continue her education with college courses throughout her career, and go on to touch countless lives with her commitment to family and community.

While growing up in Norwoodville, Jean lived behind the Hackett family. She fell in love with one of the Hackett brothers and on December 21, 1954, she married William Albert Hackett. About a year later, they would have their first son, William (Bill) Alan Hackett in 1955. They went on to have a daughter, Debra Owens in 1957, their second son, Thomas Lee Hackett in 1958, and their third son Gerald (Jerry) Lewis Hackett in 1966. Jean would balance the roles of a mother with work to support her family. The family lost William Albert Hackett in 1982.

After graduating from East High School, Jean worked for the Des Moines Public Schools as a secretary. Then, Jean was a full-time mom before becoming a bank teller at the Highland Park Bank and worked her way up to loan officer at Valley National Bank (now U.S. National Bank). Jean became a business manager for Dental Arts from 1988, a role she held until 1993. She would finish her career as a Medicare Specialist at Blue Cross Blue Shield before retiring in 1999.

Upon retirement, Jean pursued her beloved hobbies. Jean had a passion for preserving her family’s legacy, embarking on a personal genealogy project of the family’s historic lineage. Jean’s artistic flair was expressed in gardening, crocheting, and outdoor pursuits that inspired her paintings. She cherished her role as a grandmother, devoting herself to her grandchildren and her family with her cooking, relishing the time spent with everyone of her growing and extending family. Jean delighted in taking care of animals, particularly her youngest son, Jerry’s dogs. She had an art of uplifting those around her, making every encounter an opportunity to sow positivity. Jean’s unwavering dedication formed the bedrock of her family’s accomplishments, who affectionately acknowledged Jean as the revered matriarch who guided and inspired her loved ones.

Jean was preceded in death by both of her parents, Carl and Eva Speck, her brothers Bob Speck and Don Speck, her husband William (Bill) Albert Hackett, and her sons Thomas Hackett, and William (Bill) Hackett. Jean’s legacy lives on and she is survived by her daughter, Debra Owens, her youngest son, Gerald (Paula) Hackett, daughters-in-law Barbara Hackett and Alice Hackett; 2 granddaughters, Sarah (Dan) Ponxs and Ashley Gomez; 10 grandsons, Adam (Marlene) Owens, Nathan Owens, Daniel Maize, Kevin (Myra Bassman) Hackett, Matthew Hackett, Timothy Hackett, Kirk (Melanie) Hackett, Joseph Hackett, Christopher (Hannah) Hackett, and Ronnie Gomez; as well as a host of cherished great-grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

In her lifetime, Jean Edith Speck Hackett personified the essence of compassion, strength, and dedication. Her memory shall forever inspire us to strive for excellence, uplift others, and illuminate others to cherish the bonds of family and community.

Visitation will be 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday, August 14, 2023, at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at the funeral home, with burial to follow at Laurel Hill Cemetery.

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