Arthur Meredith Hackett

Arthur Meredith Hackett

Cedar Rapids

Arthur Meredith Hackett, age 74 of Cedar Rapids, passed away October 19, 2024 at his home in Cedar Rapids after a long battle with lung disease. Arthur was born July 6, in Houston, Texas. He attended Bellaire High School before attending college at the University of North Texas, where he met his future wife, Sharon Bogert. After graduating in 1972 with a degree in journalism, Arthur worked at radio stations in Denton, Texas, Hastings, Nebraska, and Dubuque, Iowa, before settling in Madison, Wisconsin, to work at the public television station there, WHA, as a multi-award winning producer of segments on Wisconsin politics and public affairs. Arthur was very active in the local Unitarian Universalist church community and helped to found the James Reeb church on Madison’s east side. After he retired, he and Sharon moved to Cedar Rapids. Civic work was an extension of Arthur’s commitment to journalism and public affairs—after he retired from WHA, he worked as an election volunteer for most elections in Madison and Cedar Rapids. He also volunteered his time at Arthur Elementary reading with students, as well as the food pantry at First Congregational Church in Cedar Rapids. Arthur enjoyed riding his bike—he finished several bike rides across the state of Wisconsin and did RAGBRAI multiple times, and even after he stopped doing RAGBRAI, he was active with the Rhinos bike group in Cedar Rapids. He also enjoyed traveling—he and Sharon had several memorable trips to Spain and New Zealand. He is survived by his wife, Sharon, his sister, Amy, his two children, James and Elizabeth, and three grandchildren, Leo, Ellenore and Margo. A memorial service will be held at a later date.