Leland "Lee" Hacker

October 30,1929 – June 30, 2020

Jamesy Leland Hacker was born on October 30, 1929 and passed away on June 30, 2020.

He was preceded in death by many family members to include Earl Hacker (Father), Irene Lawson Hacker (Mother), Dayton Hacker (Brother), Billie Ivey (Sister), Erma Vasquez (Sister), Jeri Rose Hacker (Wife), and Jackson Hacker (Grandson).

He is survived by his children Brad Hacker and Robin and Javier Trevino; his grandchildren Stacey and Chad Willingham, Morgan and Chad Lackey, Trent Trevino, Madison Trevino, Jaymeson Hacker, Jake Hacker; and his great-grandchildren Carson and Carter Willingham and Shepherd Lackey.

Lee, as he was known to most, was born and raised in Hart, Texas during the Great Depression when times were very difficult. His days were spent in school or working in the fields. He started driving a tractor when he was ten years old and drove for many of the surrounding farms until he left for college. Growing up he played basketball and tennis for Hart High School and also played baseball with a local team. He earned his Eagle Scout Badge and taught Sunday School at the Hart First Baptist Church for several years. He graduated from Hart High School in 1948 and attended Baylor University on scholarship from 1948-1952, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion. In 1956, he earned a Bachelor of Divinity from the Southwestern Seminary, and in 1962 he earned a Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas. Lee had a long and distinguished career in child care.

While attending Baylor, Lee met Jeri Lou Rose. She graduated from Baylor with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. They married in 1953. They had planned on being foreign missionaries but it didn’t work out due to health issues. So, they began to look for teaching opportunities. While pursuing a job in teaching, they took a job at the Waco State Home. As 25-year-old newlyweds, they became house parents to 16 teenage girls. They remained in that position for six months and then Lee became the Farm Manager and School Liaison Officer. He held this position for four years. It was during their time in Waco that they adopted their son, Brad.

In 1960, the family moved to Austin so Lee could further his education, earning a Masters in Social Work from UT. During this time, he worked at the Austin State School and the State School for the Deaf. After completing his degree he became the Executive Director of the Settlement Club Home in Austin where he remained for four years. During their time in Austin they adopted their daughter, Robin.

In 1966, the family moved to Fort Worth where Lee was the Executive Director of the Lena Pope Children’s Home. He remained in this position for 11 years. During his time at Lena Pope, he turned a very neglected, dilapidated program into a modern group home for girls and boys of all ages. He also started the Azleway Boys Ranch. He said, “Some of my most productive times in my profession occurred during these years.” He was a consultant for Children’s Homes, served on Legislative Committees and the State Department for Public Welfare, the State Advisory Committee on Child Care Facilities for the Department of Human Services, was a delegate to the Governor’s White House Conference on Children and Youth, assisted in founding the Texas Commission of Services for Youth, and was elected the “Social Worker of the Year” in 1973 by the National Association of Social Workers. He held the highest credentials possible as a Social Worker: ACSW (Academy of Clinical Social Workers) and CSW-ACP (Certified Social Worker–Advanced Clinical Practitioner).

After leaving Lena Pope, Lee became the President of the Baptist Children’s Home in San Antonio, TX. In his 12 years there he took great joy and pride in implementing a 4-H program that many of the children participated in with great success winning Grand Champion Steer at Walter Gerlach and Grand Champion Steer at the Bexar County Junior Livestock Show. He also took great joy in establishing the horse program for the kids to learn to care for, ride and show horses.

Lee worked as a psychotherapist at Laurel Ridge Hospital for two years after leaving the Baptist Children’s Home and for two years in Lufkin, TX as the Director of Social Services for Home Health before returning to work in his favorite setting of group home care for youth. He was a therapist at Boysville for two years and established a horse therapy program. It was during the horse program that he had an accident while riding that eventually caused him to have to retire from his career in child care.

During his career he felt it was important to be a part of the education of future social workers and taught night classes at several universities to include, TCU, Texas Wesleyan and SFA.

After retiring from Boysville, Lee began a new career as the property manager for the Churchill Estates neighborhood in San Antonio. He stayed in this position for 22 years, just retiring this past May at the age of 90.

Along with his full time job as Property Manager, he was a full time Grandpa. Besides being the “third parent” to his grandkids, he spent many hours volunteering at his grandchildren’s elementary school. Even when their classrooms did not need help he often worked with other teachers tutoring kids in reading, and math and also attending field trips as a chaperone. He was a founding member of the Grandpaws Volunteer Program for Huebner Elementary and was awarded the PTA Lifetime Membership Award.

During his 65 years serving children and his community Lee formed many relationships with kids and coworkers that continue to this day. There are many people and programs in child care that are now very successful that got their start with “Mr. Hacker.” He served thousands of children in his career and there are so many that he still has a relationship with that are as special to him as he is to them. Their love for him and their personal success raising their own families is a testament to the life he led serving children in need. He felt like serving children in need was his calling from God and he did all he could to serve them well.

His Lord said to him, ”Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

Matthew 25:23

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic there will a limitation of 30 family members and friends at the cemetery. It will be required to wear a mask and everyone must be socially distant from one another. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this unprecedented time.