James P. Hazlett

Jim Hazlett, cherished and beloved by so many, passed away on the evening of July 3, 2016. Having encountered a number of health challenges, it was important to Jim to capture precious time with his family and friends. He was able to visit with many of them before his passing. As was his wish, Jim remained at home and died in the company of his family, with the gift of beautiful music playing nearby.

Born and raised in Walpole, Massachusetts by his parents John and Josephine (Turco) Hazlett, Jim was a talented athlete and friend to many. He spoke often about growing up playing backyard ball games with his friends, cousins, and sister Betty Ann. In those days, he was also known to adore and spoil his younger sister, Joanne. Jim graduated from Walpole High School and then later from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. After graduating college, he moved to Chelsea, Vermont where he taught high school history and social studies. He also coached the Chelsea basketball team, working hard to raise the bar for a group of novice ball players.

Jim married Judy Packard (of Norfolk, MA) in 1965, and they spent several years together in Chelsea. This is where their first two children, Michael and Kathleen, were born. They later moved their family to the town of Saxtons River, Vermont where their third child, Patrick, was born. It is here too where an across-the-street neighbor, Lise, became a treasured, life-long member of their family.

In 1971, Jim received a Ford Foundation Fellowship which allowed him to travel across the country studying different educational systems. Returning to Vermont, Jim then taught at Leland & Gray High School in Townsend, once again teaching history and social studies. He absolutely loved teaching, and recounted many fond memories over the years, including traveling with several groups of students to Washington, DC. Over the years, he often spoke with great fondness about this time in his life and the many important friends and students he met along the way.

Jim always took a great interest in politics, peace activism and demonstration. He took several of his own trips to Washington, DC to protest the war in Vietnam. He and his wife Judy also became involved in an advocacy effort for orphans from the Vietnam war. In 1974, Jim and Judy adopted their fourth child, Mia, who had been orphaned in Vietnam.

Jim moved his family back to Massachusetts in 1980 where they settled in Norfolk, and where he began a painting contractor's business. Although Jim missed teaching, he grew to enjoy his new business venture and all the wonderful people he met along the way. Retiring in 2010, Jim and Judy moved to their summer home in Wareham.

Jim had lots of unique interests. Over the course of many years, he loved to garden and was a master salad maker. Truth be told, Jim loved food! Though he always acknowledged that Judy was the cook and he the salad maker, he had a hearty appetite and had many favorite dishes.

Spending time on the beach in Wareham was one of Jim's life pleasures. He and Judy took up kayaking and clamming in the warmer months. Being physically active his whole life, Jim also enjoyed golf and bike riding. He could often be found walking the family dog, Chloe, who he greatly loved. Jim could always be found on the dance floor at weddings and special gatherings, happy to dance with anyone who would be his partner. In recent years, Jim was a member of the local YMCA in Wareham where he enjoyed walking, swimming and chair yoga. He was a big fan of the Red Sox and N.E. Patriots. Jim was active with the local Wareham library for a time, and was a volunteer for Meals On Wheels.

Jim and Judy enjoyed several trips to Florida, island getaways where he would scuba dive, and two trips to Ireland. He especially loved traveling to Florida with his son Patrick to visit his sister Betty Ann and nephew Chris. The Green Mountain State remained one of his favorite places to spend time. Bob and Patrick both took trips back to Chelsea with Jim to visit old friends. He also adored coming to visit Kathy and Bob at their hillside home in Poultney, Vermont.

Jim loved spending time with his grandchildren. When he could, he enjoyed attending his grandson Sam's football games in Maine along with his son Mike. Jim took part in many school functions with Mia, and her girls, Jasmine and Mikayla. He was a proud supporter of his granddaughter's ball games and activities, attending as many as he could. Over the years, he often visited his daughter Kathy's first grade classroom, delighting in the spirited energy of the children, eager to see what the children were working on, and often quizzing them about the world map and current events.

Jim was an avid reader of all kinds of genres, but particularly enjoyed reading about history and politics, forever curious about the past and present. He was known to inspire and engage others in active debate about our nation's political landscape, and welcomed conversations with family and friends on an abundance of topics. He was a big supporter of Bernie Sanders, eager to see more lasting change in what he understood to be a very broken government system.

Jim adored music, and had an eclectic taste for all kinds. It's safe to say that the music from the 50's and 60's comprised some of his favorite tunes. He particularly enjoyed listening to Jimmy Buffett, The Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Nanci Griffith, Pete Seeger, Willie Nelson, to name just a few, and there were many, many more. He attended numerous concerts over the years, always eager to share a good performance with its upbeat fans.

Jim regularly attended Sunday gatherings at the Mattapoisett Friends (Quakers) Meeting House where he appreciated quiet, spiritual contemplation. His daughter Kathy often joined him on these Sundays, as did Sue LeBlanc, Mike's partner.

At the very heart of Jim's nature was the way in which he engaged with and loved the people in his life. If you knew Jim for years or even for a few minutes, his warm, compassionate personality shined brightly. Storytelling was commonplace, and Jim had many to tell. He could often be found sharing tales about growing up, teaching, Vermont, and his times with family and friends. His many nieces and nephews hold dear the myriad, often playful ways in which Jim made them feel special. He was uniquely curious about the lives of others, eager to hear their stories, learn about what was important to them, and engage in conversation.

Though Judy, Michael, Sue, Kathy, Bob, Patrick, Mia and his grandchildren would gladly claim Jim all for themselves, they are unquestionably clear that he was a man especially fashioned to be shared with everyone. Jim was extraordinarily loving and compassionate, and as a result was a beloved person to countless family and friends. His pure, loving heart, sense of humor, bear hugs and warm, infectious smile will be most surely missed and his stories cherished for years to come. He was, without a doubt, one of the finest men ever to grace this earth.

Beloved husband of Judith A. (Packard) Hazlett.
Loving father of Michael J. Hazlett and Susan LeBlanc of St Petersburg, Fl, Kathleen M.and her husband Robert Ravinski of Norfolk, Patrick J. Hazlett of Wrentham, and Mia L. Hazlett of Wareham.
Cherished grandfather of Sam Hazlett, Jasmine Black, Mikayla Black and Samantha LeBlanc.
Brother of Betty Ann Kane and her late husband Pete Kane, Joanne and Ed Jankowski all of Norwood.
Brother in law of Barbara and Gary McLacklan of Norfolk, Roger Turkel of No Kingstown, RI, the late Mary Turkel and the late Kathleen Packard.
Also survived by many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Jim's Life Celebration on Sunday, July 10, 2016 from 2-6 PM in the James H. Delaney & Son Funeral Home, 48 Common Street, Walpole. Funeral service and interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of James Hazlett may be made to: South Coast VNA Hospice & Palliative Care Program, 200 Mill Road, Fairhaven, MA 02719 or at www.southcoastvna.org