Jean Graydon Hachet

Jean Graydon Hachet (Grady), 82 of Kokomo, passed away April 1, 2021. He was born on December 15, 1938 to the late Jean and Mildred Hachet in Muncie, IN. Our Dad had an easy-going personality (anxiety ran high at times, so now I know where I get it), but he had a sense of humor. I like to think we had that in common. I remember watching Saturday Night Live reruns on the Chicago Channel with him. He had an appreciation for comedians like Bill Murray and John Belushi. Our parents divorced a million years ago, and our relationship with Dad was pretty distant. It’s difficult to know what to tell people about his life, so I’ll go with the pieces I do know and fun memories of food, music and thrilling roller coaster rides. Dad grew up playing lots of basketball. He played for a bit at Ball State University and then for the U.S. Army, where he served as a Military Policeman. When Dad got out of the Army, he became a police officer and served in the Kokomo Police Department for 20 years. He even survived a gunshot wound to the chest while trying to apprehend a bank thief—at least, that’s how the story goes. This happened before I was born, so the story evolved over time. Once retired, Dad worked at his beloved Chippendale Golf Course (he played tons of golf, too) and for the local gas company. He was also a pretty good cook. When we spent weekends with Dad, he often cooked a Sunday dinner (I remember a crazy family recipe called porcupine meatballs) and then took us to the Cone Palace for ice cream or a slushie on the way back to our mom’s house. He loved roller coasters, so we usually headed to Kings Island in the summer to ride "The Beast" all day long. We happily screamed our heads off and had a blast. Dad usually threw his back out after whipping around on those coaster rides and needed a few days to recover. I didn’t grow up forming the perfect relationship with my Dad. Still, I cherish the memories of riding in my Dad’s car with my brothers, Grady and John, on our way to Kings Island or visiting our Aunt Martha in Muncie. I remember the car windows down with Indiana sunshine streaming in, warming the seats while listening to songs like “Riannon” by Fleetwood Mac and “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John, bluesy rock from the Allman Brothers and softer folk songs by Jim Croce and James Taylor. Riding in that car with those three men in my life felt like I was in the safest place in the world. Every kid should grow up feeling at least that lucky. —Paige Hachet Jacob The Hachet and Jacob families are forever grateful to the teams at Jefferson Manor Assisted Living, The Bloom at Kokomo, First Care Hospice, and Comfort Keepers. Their tender care and attention to Dad was impeccable. They also provided much-needed advice and guidance for us to help Dad through his end-of-life journey. If you have a loved one experiencing the ravages of dementia or Alzheimer’s, do not hesitate to give them a call. Grady is survived by his daughter-in-law; Debbie Hachet, granddaughter; Sarah Hachet (Zach Greene), and great-grandson; Andrew Hachet and grandson; Robert Hachet (Becca Hachet), all in Kokomo, daughter; Paige Hachet Jacob (Tommy), and grandsons; Willem and Casey all in Apex, NC; Grady’s youngest son; John Hachet (fiance Allison Winston) in Greensboro, NC, brother; Craig Hachet (Marcia) of New Bern, NC and brother; James Hachet and sister Shirley Hachet, reside in Ohio. He was preceded in death by his beloved son, Grady Hachet. A memorial service at Chippendale’s Golf Course will be Wednesday, April 21 from 11am to 12pm. Memorials or donations may be made to the Kokomo Police Athletic League or to the Greater Indiana Alzheimer's Chapter.