D. Roger Hacking

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        David Roger Hacking, age 87, returned to his heavenly home on 22 October 2023. He leaves behind a legacy of faith, testimony, love, and family.
    Roger was born 24 November 1935 in Vernal Utah to Junius Paul Hacking and Vilo Kaye Poulson.  He grew up in Vernal UT in the home of his father, his grandparents, Joseph and Carrie Hacking, and aunt, Beatrice Stringham. He was a hard worker and milked cows, moved and hauled hay, and worked on the farm.
    He loved fishing and hunting.  He was an active Scout, in both his youth and adult life. He earned the Eagle rank and as an adult leader, he was awarded the Second -Miler award and the Silver Beaver.  
    He attended Uintah High School, Class of 1954, where he played football and acted in the theater program.  He was president of the Thespian club. He worked at the Vernal Drug Store and Vouge Theater.  
    Roger received a scholarship to the University of Utah.University was difficult for him.  He attended for two years and then enlisted in the Army.  After boot camp and before he was sent to Germany, he was given leave to return to Vernal.  While in Vernal, he had his first date with Laura Fox, who he would later marry.
    Roger was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany.  He trained as a Morse Code Radio Operator.  He had no intention of going to church during his deployment.  One weekend he was given leave to travel to Berchtesgaden to attend a religious retreat.  As an alternative to sleeping in a muddy tent he went to the retreat with no intention of attending the meetings. At the invitation of his friends from basic training and fear that the Army would be taking roll of the attendees, he attended one meeting. The strength of the spiritual feelings he experienced in that meeting changed his life. He attended every meeting after that and strove to strengthen his testimony.  He often told his family and friends that this experience was the start of his life as a follower of Jesus Christ.  He was honorably discharged from the Army as a Corporal in 1958.
    On returning home, Roger was called as a missionary to the Great Lakes Mission.  Before he left for the mission field, he was in the Vernal movie house one night when someone hit him in the back of the head with popcorn.  He turned around to find Laura.  He went back and sat by her.  They went out every night until he left for the mission field.  As they were dating, he asked Laura if she would marry him.  She surprised him when she said yes. 
    Roger served honorably and was supported in the mission field by the ward and several family members.  He was always grateful for the friends and family that made it possible for him to serve.
    Roger returned from the mission on 29 August 1960.  He and Laura were married 30 days later in the Salt Lake City Temple on 29 Sept 1960.  She died 20 July 2020.  
     He returned to the University of Utah to complete his degree in Business Management while Laura worked as a schoolteacher.  Their first son, David, was born in Salt Lake City.  
    After Roger graduated, he returned to Vernal and worked at his father-in-law’s business, Standard Saddle Tree.  He eventually became a co-owner in this business and Utahn Saddle Company.  By 1980 both companies were sold.
    While in Vernal, Roger and Laura had 5 more children, Paul, Alisa, Mark, Steven, and James. He raised his family on a small farm in Maeser where they all worked milking cows, caring for horses, hauling hay, and tending a large garden just as he had in his youth.
    After the sale of Standard Saddle Tree, Roger worked in the community as an Insurance Agent and a Real Estate Agent.  He was very involved in the community.  He was a founding member of Basin State Bank, owner of Basin Auto Parts and Western Auto, President of the Rotary Club and Chairman of the “Race for Life” for several years.  He later moved the family to Salt Lake City where he worked as a stockbroker for Lehman Brothers.
    Roger served in the Church in the Maeser 2nd Ward Bishopric, as a High Counselor, as a Councilor in the Vernal Utah Maeser Stake Presidency and as a Temple Worker.  He also served as a missionary on Temple Square.  In their later years, Roger and Laura were called as missionaries to the Omaha Nebraska Mission.  He maintained the mission cars while she served as the secretary to the Mission President.  After their mission, they lived in Provo and Ephraim, Utah. Roger was known as a strong speaker and teacher.  He always bore strong testimony of Jesus Christ.
    In his final years, he and Laura lived at Legacy Park Assisted Care in Provo, Utah. Laura passed in 2020.  Roger missed her dearly.  He often commented to his children that he was just passing time waiting to be with Laura again.  Roger suffered from Pneumonia during the last month of his life.  His family is happy that they are reunited again.
    Roger leaves behind his children, David (Jennifer) Hacking of Orem, Utah; Paul (Lisa) Hacking of Tooele, Utah; Alisa (Rick) Massey of Indianapolis, Indiana; Mark (Carrie) Hacking of Lake Forest, California; Steven (Kristen) Hacking, of Ephraim, Utah; and James (Anjella) Hacking of Orem, Utah; 33 grandchildren (Xander, Jill, Nathan (Morgan), Nicholas, Hannah (Tommy), Zachary, Erik, Kamille (Frank), Ryker (Amelia), Kyle, Bradley (Stephanie), Anna, (Jason), Jeremy (Kaylee), Michael (Chloe), Spencer, Jenna, Jacob (Yvette), Chad (Kirstan), Scott (Rachel), Todd, Rick (Ashlyn), Karra, Owen, Matthew, Charlie, Ellie, Talon, Amelia,  Ethan, Allison, Brooks, Emma and Bailey), 16 great-grandchildren (Landon, Alana, Oliver, William, Scarlett, Mitch, Winry, Grayson, Rebecca, Jack, Margaret, Evelyn, Daniella, Bjorn, Grace, Hudson).  He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Laura Carolyn Fox Hacking, his sisters Carma Rae Hacking Fereday, Janet Hacking, and Julia Hacking, his daughter-in-law Carrie Galbraith Hacking, 1 grandchild, Nicholas, and 1 great-grandchild, William.
    He also loved the many children and grandchildren who came into his life as exchange students and friends who became family including Rebecca Wett, Tatiana Robles Agular, Sevak (Chrissie)Tsaturyan, Toshiko (Nick) Becker, Alex and Victoria Avila, Veronika Truebe Offenlachm (Robert), Laura, Anton, Megan Gadd, and Tim Jackson.
    We are very grateful for the love and care that he received from Legacy Village of Provo during the last years of his life.
    Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 27, 2023, at the Vernal Utah Maeser Stake Center, 2745 W 1000 N, at11:00 a.m., a viewing will be held from 10:00 - 10:45 a.m..  Burial will be in the Maeser Fairview Cemetery, with military honors presented by the Utah National Guard and the American Legion.