Dr. Raymond Lewis Hackett's Obituary
Dr. Raymond Lewis Hackett, 86 years old, passed away on September 11, 2016, after battling Parkinson’s Disease for many years. Born in White River Junction, Vermont, on October 30, 1929, to the late Lewis and Doris Hackett, Dr. Hackett graduated from Thornton Academy, Saco, Maine, where he was class President. Dr. Hackett received his BA in Zoology from the University of Maine in 1951 and his MD degree from the University of Vermont in 1955. Following medical school Dr. Hackett did a rotating internship at Colorado General Hospital and went on to become a Captain in the US Army Medical Corp from 1956-58. He went onto a residency in Anatomic Pathology at the University of Colorado Medical Center from 1958-59 and was a research trainee at the Massachusetts Memorial Hospitals from 1961-62. Following his research training in Boston, Dr. Hackett joined the University Of Florida Department Of Pathology in 1963 as an Assistant Professor. In the ensuing years, he became a departmental leader and rapidly rose to rank of Professor in 1972. Dr. Hackett was heavily involved in Departmental Administration and was the Acting Chairman from 1978-79 and Associate Chair from 1979 until he retired in 1998. He was also very active in training residents and graduate students. He enjoyed an active research career as an NIH funded investigator in the area of kidney stones and published over 70 research and clinical articles and was widely recognized as an expert in this field. He served on many important committees including those in the Department and College of Medicine at UF. He received several UF Research Achievement Awards and several Education awards from the pathology residents. He was a member of several national organizations including Florida Medical Association, US Canadian Academy of Pathology, the American Association of Pathologists, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. He is fondly remembered by his colleagues at UF and around the country as an outstanding pathologist, educator, and a leader in research of kidney stones.
Dr. Hackett is survived by his loving, devoted wife of 61 years, Mary Elizabeth Hackett (nee Benton), by two sons, Bruce Benton Hackett and wife Kimberly of Nashville, Tennessee, Wayne David Hackett and wife Jennifer of Gainesville, Florida, and daughter, Laura Elizabeth Kita (nee Hackett) and husband Paul (deceased) of Palm Coast, Florida, and four grandchildren, Chris, Jessica, Neal, and Eric, two great grandchildren, Cohen and Archer, pets Abigail and Emma.
Dr. Hackett was an avid woodworker, amateur photographer, and baker. He enjoyed traveling with Mary and hiking his favorite trails in Highlands, North Carolina. Dr. Hackett will be sorely missed by his friends and family.
Funeral Services will be held Friday, September 16, 2016 at 11:00 a.m., at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 2715 NW 39th Avenue, with Bishop Ron Kuykendall officiating. The family will receive friends Thursday, September 15, 2016, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at WILLIAMS-THOMAS FUNERAL HOME DOWNTOWN, 404 North Main Street. Interment will be private.
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