Deborah Kay Hackmann
March 28, 1951 – June 2, 2022
Deborah Hackmann of St. Louis, Missouri passed away at the age of 71 on June 2, 2022. Deborah, or “Deb” as many referred to her, suffered a couple of life debilitating strokes in 2015 and 2016 and went from living an independent life where she enjoyed spending time with her children, grandchildren and sister to battling her post-stroke condition in an long-term assisted living home. While the strokes changed her physically her kind spirit did not change. Deb was known for her kind and warm heart and was always there to listen to others. The nursing home aids, nurses, doctors, and workers constantly told her family how much they loved Deb and that she was their favorite patient.
Deb grew up in St. Charles, Missouri and remained close to her sister, Elizabeth Beck, whom she enjoyed taking lunch trips with to new and unique restaurants, shopping and taking weekend trips to Branson, Missouri. She remained close friends and even best friends with her co-workers from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT), where she retired from. She confided in one of her best friends, Lauren, from MODOt in the following email;
“In life, many things will change, that is a given. One thing will stand the test of time though; the love of a mother for her children, natural born or adopted, in her heart. For me this includes my biological children, my stepchildren, their spouses, their kids, my sister and her family, and special friends who have made a niche in my heart. I thank God for them all….”
Deb had many hobbies that she enjoyed and tried new hobbies often. At one point she actually took clown classes and received certification! She loved to sew and cross-stitched beautiful designs in her free time and enjoyed sewing Halloween costumes for her children and grandchildren. She water-skied, boated and snow-skied and enjoyed weekend camping and boating trips in her younger years. She was a great cook and loved trying new recipes and sharing those with her loved ones.
Deb loved Sci-Fi and read every Stephen King book available. She was a bit of a Trekkie and had aspirations of visiting Riverside, IA the future birthplace of Captain James T Kirk.
We take comfort knowing she is no longer suffering. However, she was much loved and will be missed greatly. Deborah is survived by her daughter, Danielle (Randall) Oettle; her son, Douglas (Anastasia) Smith; her Grandchildren Beau, Ryanna, Jackson, Elijah, Kellien and Lindsey; her great grandchildren Marshal, Henry, Parker and Sawyer; her sister Elizabeth Beck; and her brother Keith Hackmann. She is preceded in death by her Father Elroy Hackmann.
Sorry for your loss. I worked with her for about 5 years at MoDOT. I had a ton of respect for her. Could be both kind and stearn, and knew when each was needed.
Very sad to hear/see this. I worked closely with her at MoDOT, and she always surprised me with her love to try new foods…a new one every week! I learned a lot about food items I never heard of from her! She was somehow fun and yet no-nonsense at the same time!
I so wish I could’ve been there today to give you all hugs. Debbie was simply awesome! She was a great friend, confidant, and advice giver. We shared so many laughs, so many stories, smiles and tears over the years. I’m so grateful that she was such a big part of my life and only wish we had been able to share more times together in the last few years. I know she’s in a better place and watching over all of us.