Robert David Hackman

Robert David Hackman, a strong and talented athlete, loving uncle and brother, devoted friend, sports fan, and tenacious survivor of multiple health challenges, died May 17, 2018, at the age of seventy. Bob lived his whole life as part of greater Chicago, the city he loved. As a boy, he found great satisfaction competing in track, soccer, baseball, and basketball. His bedroom was filled with trophies. At Evanston Township High School, he sang in the chorus and performed in musicals. He relished large family gatherings with his extended family, including his aunts and uncles, who had immigrated to the United States from Belarus and Russian Poland in the two generations before he was born. These cousins’ club parties were packed with singing, dancing and joy.

His childhood friend Mimi Katz, part of a group of friends from Dawes elementary school, said of Bob, “We all have such happy childhood memories of him excelling in everything he did. But even as a kid, and the most popular boy in the class, he had a unique kindness and gentleness that I’ll always remember most. Such a mensch! . . . He was by far the most likely to succeed, when we graduated high school.”

Bob entered Harvard University in 1965, determined to pursue his interest in biology and continue his participation in team sports. Because of mental health difficulties——later diagnosed as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder——he left Harvard in his freshman year, but with grit and effort he graduated from Northeastern Illinois University in 1979.

He held a number of jobs in his post-college years, working at Allin’s Paint, the Evanston YMCA, Encyclopedia Britannica, Deloitte Touche, in food service, and at Evanston Hospital. His cheerful demeanor and hard work were highly valued in these places, where he made strong efforts to maintain steady work, while continuing to face the challenges of mental health difficulties.

With his five nieces and nephews, he frequently played pool, a game he dominated with great skill, sinking shots effortlessly and teaching his nephews and nieces how to put English on the ball. He took them to Wrigley Field for baseball, his favorite sport, though he was also a strong fan of the Chicago Bulls and basketball, the Bears and football, and golf. His golf game was strong——he regularly played on the public courses of Chicago and Keystone, Colorado——and he moved fluidly on the tennis court with the power of a natural athlete making and returning serves.

Along with enjoying family gatherings, he was a keen player of Scrabble, frequently besting his two sisters, who taught students at the university level. When he would lay down high-scoring Scrabble words, he would chuckle with the knowledge that he was hard to beat. His interest in intellectual and creative pursuits extended especially to painting and making visual art, frequently geometric art with careful compositions and bright colors. He was also an avid folk dancer at home and at Lake Geneva.

In the later years of his life, Bob faced the side effects of many years of taking powerful medicines. He confronted a blood cancer, West Nile that affected his gait and speech, and severely weakened kidneys. Yet, despite these challenges, he never lost his strong will to live, even when many others would have given up. Physically big and strong, he showed tremendous resilience and a great desire to heal. At times, depressions and other darker feelings would overcome him, yet he always found a way to push through these tough times, displaying a strength that inspired his sisters, nieces, nephews, and his many cousins.

His struggles instilled in him tremendous empathy for the challenges others go through, which he expressed through unflagging love and support. These also made him all the more appreciative of the gifts of kindness that he received from his caregivers and the fellow members of the support groups to which he belonged.

Robert David Hackman was the son of Florence, née Podersky and Joseph Hackman, two wonderful teachers and parents, who supported Bob throughout his life with immense love. The care of Joseph and Florence for their son was prodigious, and he lived with his parents for decades, surrounded by that gift of love and support. In his later life, his sisters Jean and Sandy continued to provide their own strong love for their brother, taking him on trips to Vermont, the Eastern Townships of Quebec and the Rockies of Colorado, and giving him a loving home and daily support as they called and checked in on him.

Two health caregivers, Gene Brown and Michelle Cargill, took especially good care of Bob. Gene worked with him daily for eighteen years and treated him as family. Of Bob, she said, “He was a kindhearted person who would go all out for his friends.” Michelle added, “During the twelve years I worked for Bob he was a good friend who would always provide a listening ear.”

Bob is survived by his sisters, Jean Chalk and Sandra Barkan; their spouses Frank Chalk and the late Joel Barkan; his nieces and nephews: David Chalk, Laura Chalk, Bronwyn Barkan, Leesa Chalk Suzman and Josh Barkan; their spouses: Melissa Wong, Stefano Crema, Randy Lamm, Michael Suzman, Mariana Escribano; and his grand nieces and nephews: Alex Chalk, Isabella Crema, Jonah Crema, Arlo Lamm, Gabriel Lamm, Chloe Suzman, Maisie Suzman, and Brooke Suzman.

A memorial will be held for Bob September 29, and the entire family will go to Wrigley Field to commemorate his life.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be given to Thresholds, 4101 Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL 60613 (773) 572-5500, www.thresholds.org or the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22203, https://www.nami.org/