Tuesday, July 22, 2008
I Has a Sad
Today I found out that a former boss (well, technically my boss's boss) passed away last Thursday. Dr. Hackney was the head of the Counseling department at Macomb Community College. I worked there in the summers while I was home from college. After a stint at the Learning Center, I went back to Counseling, where my job was to help new students get started, and help associate degree students figure out what classes they needed.
The Macomb Assistance Center was often a very fun place to be. Once I was helping a student on the phone when I looked up and noticed something odd...
"First you fill out the application, then you will need to take the--OH MY GOD!" My fellow Assistance Center technicians Robyn and Lori had glued tiny photocopies of David Duchovny's head to all of the push pins on my bulletin board.
Computing services on campus was not always concerned about securing desktop PCs, so at the prompting of Dr. Hackney's secretary, I installed a piece of software on his machine that replaced the regular system beeps and sounds with video and audio clips from Star Wars. The next time he came in, his computer greeted him with "Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi; you're my only hope."
Dr. Hackney was very proud of his Tickle-Me Elmo.
He was very kind and low key. He was the only African-American administrator on campus (at that time at any rate...I don't know what the situation is now), which I imagine was somewhat difficult. I respected him immensely.
I left in 1999, and Dr. Hackney retired in 2002. I hadn't seen him in years, then Brian and I ran into him at the radiation oncology department at the hospital this past February. He recognized me first and said hi. We talked a little bit, introduced spouses, and then lapsed into silence, because what do you really say when you're waiting to be bombarded with radiation for cancer?
Last Thursday I wasn't feeling all that well, but I met Robyn and Lori for dinner. I mentioned having seen Dr. Hackney at the hospital a few months ago, and we reminisced about him and about our days together in the same office.
That's the night he passed away. I can only offer my deepest condolences and sympathy to his family and loved ones.
Larry Heywood Hackney, Ph.D
1938-2008
Labels: Brian, Dr. Larry Hackney, liver, radiation
