Obituary of Joanne Flower Hackett

Joanne Flower Hackett, born January 21, 1930, to Glenn R. Flower and Marjorie (Frazier) Flower, passed from this life into her eternal home on January 12, 2024, at age 93. Raised in Rockford, WA, Joanne attended Eastern WA College of Education and the Univ. of WA, earning her B.S. in Hospital Dietetics. She worked as a dietitian (Virginia Mason Hospital, Seattle) before marrying D. Paul Hackett, to whom she was married for 70 years. They raised three children in interesting communities including two adventuresome years (1965-67) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Settling in Puyallup, WA for 47 years, Joanne earned her state teaching certification for K-12 Classroom Education (PLU, Tacoma) and later, her M.A. in Library Sciences (PLU). She taught 4th and 5th grades and was school librarian in the ‘70s and ’80s (Fruitland, Sunrise, Hilltop, and Stewart elementary schools). When computers first came into schools, Joanne served with four others on the first district-wide computer committee. An excellent teacher, she received the Golden Acorn Award from Sunrise PTA and the Notable Contribution Award from Hilltop PTA. Very active in her church, she was an ordained deacon and elder at Puyallup First Presbyterian Church for many decades. In everything she did, Joanne always served others and strove for excellence. In 2016, she and Paul moved to Oak Harbor, WA to live near their daughter.

She is survived by her husband Paul, sons Douglas (Silvia) Hackett and David (Sandra) Hackett, and daughter Elizabeth (James) Anema. Joanne was cherished by her four grandchildren: Katelyn (Pat) Reilly, August (MB) Hackett, Mairin Hackett; and Raymund Hackett; and her two great-grandchildren: KJ Reilly and Sullivan Hackett. Also surviving her are her sisters, Eileen Moffett (Princeton, NJ) and Maridean Bennett (Yakima, WA).