David Hackstadt

Dr. Raleigh David Hackstadt, 78, passed away peacefully at his own home, in Tampa, Florida, on October 27, 2024. He was born in Wichita, Kansas on April 14, 1946 to Harold N. "Cotton" Hackstadt and Indola Robson Hackstadt.

At the age of 9, he moved with his family to Birmingham, Alabama where he attended McElwain Elementary School and graduated from Ramsay High School. He graduated from Georgia Tech where he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, an intramural tennis champion, as well as a member of the ROTC. While at Georgia Tech, he learned to play golf and embarked on a lifelong passion for it that led to his winning many championships throughout his life. He played in four USGA Championships and was medalist to two of them. In his first US Am, he defeated his opponent, Hal Sutton, who later became a well-known pro and captain of the Ryder Cup. He played his last US Am in the same tournament as 17-year-old Tiger Woods.

After graduating from Georgia Tech, he spent two years in the US Army Chemical Corp in Ft. Ord, California, where he achieved the rank of Captain. He then returned to Birmingham where he continued his passion for golf and attended medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After graduation from medical school, there was much speculation in the local press as to whether Dr. Hackstadt would choose to practice medicine or play golf. He did both. After his residency at Carraway Methodist Medical Center, he became the medical director of the emergency department at Cullman Medical Center for ten years during which time he worked with the local EMS to expand the ambulance services throughout the county. At the request of the Governor, he helped to write the seat belt laws for children in the State of Alabama. Dr. Hackstadt, who was a pioneer of Emergency Medicine as it's known today, worked to help make Emergency Medicine a Board Certified specialty and, thus, became one of the country's first Board Certified Emergency Medicine physicians. He served as President of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

During all of this, he continued to pursue his golf career, winning many championships, and was exempt from qualifying for the Canadian and British Amateurs and also participated in the qualifying for the British Open.

After practicing medicine for ten years in Cullman, he practiced at Medical Center East in Birmingham. He then decided to move to Florida to concentrate on his professional golf career. He won several State of Florida Golf Association championships as well as the Men's Amateur Golf Association Championship at Palm Beach Polo and Golf Club where his name was inscribed on the trophy with previous winners such as Gibby Gilbert and Mark Calcavecchia. He then turned pro, attended Q-school, and pursued the USGA Senior Tour.

Although his wife dearly hoped to move back home to Alabama when he was finished with the golf tour, Dr. Hackstadt took a position as an attending ER physician at Tampa General Hospital which was awarded one of the few emergency medicine residency programs at the time, choosing to participate in teaching the residents.

His wife later said that the young doctors he taught over the years became his best legacy.

After long careers in emergency medicine and golf, Dr. Hackstadt only gave them up when he felt he'd become too ill to enjoy them anymore. He heroically, and with grace, fought a hard battle before a peaceful death in his own home in the company of his wife and son.

Dr. Hackstadt was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Larry Hackstadt.

He is survived by his wife, Chiquita Darleen Hackstadt; his son, Scott Hackstadt; daughter-in-law, Priscilla Hackstadt; granddaughter, Emma Hackstadt; and grandson, Christopher Hackstadt.

A memorial reception will be held in his honor at Hunter's Green Country Club in Tampa, Florida on November 15, 2024 from 2-6 p.m. He will be interred in the Florida National Military Cemetery in Bushnell.

Donations may be made in his memory to your favorite charity.