She began her career in education in 1964 and spent years as the Vail Middle School principal and later as director of transportation.
Michael Valenti, principal at Middletown Middle School for the last 21 years, remembers the first time he met Hacker. She interviewed him in 1989 for a social studies teaching position while standing outside the former Manchester Building.
He was hired and has remained with the district ever since.
At first, Valenti said, he was “scared to death” of Hacker because of her stern leadership style and reputation.
“She meant business,” he said.
Then they became close friends and Valenti saw how she cared for those in the district.
“She truly loved people,” he said. “Everybody knew her. She affected some many people in a positive way. She was a legend.”
Hacker’s daughter, Sherry Gaston, said growing up in Perry County, Ky., her mother went through financial struggles at times. She remembered how she was impacted by those early days when she entered education, her daughter said.
“I think because of her background, she was always fighting for the underdogs out there in the world because she knew how important they were,” Gaston said. “She was a fighter. She fought for what’s right and what’s good. She fought for things as they should be.”
Gaston, who spent 39 years in education as a teacher, administrator and counselor, lived next door to her mother in Monroe. And there was a time when her brother, James Hacker, lived on the other side of their mother.
“She was my best friend and I miss her,” Gaston said, fighting back tears. “She was very much a family person.“
Besides her two children, Hacker is survived by three grandchildren, Krystal (Ben) Fry, Jacob Gaston, and Travis Hacker; two great grandchildren; Aspen Fry and Preston Fry; two sisters, Cindy (Tom) Rawlins of Lexington, Ky., Julie (Tom) Siebert of Springboro; and one brother, James (Carol) England of Lexington, Ky.; three nieces, Kim (Jason) Wright, Kathy (Brian) Erickson, and Jenny Seibert; and one nephew, Mike (Teri) Brock.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 6737 Hamilton Middletown Road, Middletown.
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