Robert James Vacker, 70, passed away Wednesday, March 26, 2014, at the Hospice of Wichita Falls. A Rosary and Celebration of life will be held at 9:30 A.M. Saturday, March 29, 2014 at the Seymour Memorial Funeral Home Chapel. A lunch and fellowship will take place at 11 A.M. Saturday at the Parish Hall of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Seymour. The funeral mass will be said at 1 P.M. Saturday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Father John Perikomalayil and Deacon Jim Novak officiating. Interment will be in the SPJST Cemetery under the direction of Seymour Memorial Funeral Home.

Robert was born November 15, 1943 to Emil and Janie Knezek Vacker in Victoria, Texas. Bob attended Catholic school for 12 years, graduating from St. Joseph's High School in 1962, where he was the quarterback for the football team and president of the Student Council. He attended Texas Tech in Lubbock, graduating in 1966. He was the ROTC Commander during his senior year, and also helped establish the first Catholic fraternity on campus, Chi Rho. After graduation from college, he married Carol Hajek on June 18, 1966, and a few months later entered the U.S. Air Force. From 1966 to 1978, Bob was a pilot in a variety of jet aircraft, an instructor pilot, simulator and classroom instructor, and a Veteran of Southeast Asia. In the years following, Bob was Test Manager at the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center in Albuquerque, N.M. and a B-1 Bomber Flight Test Director at Edwards AFB, California. His flight experience included logging 3286 flight hours, 935 of those in combat missions over Southeast Asia. Bob completed 20 years of active military service, retiring as Lieutenant Colonel in 1986. While in the Air Force, Bob continued his education by attaining two advanced college degrees, a Master of Arts Degree in 1975, and a Masters of Business Administration in 1986. After retirement from the Air Force, Bob worked as a Systems Analyst with Boeing Military Aircraft Company in Seattle Washington until 1989. He also began his personal financial planning practice in Washington State, and earned the professional designation of Certified Financial Planner. In 1989, Bob and family relocated back to Texas, where he registered his personal finance practice. Bob served 4 years as a faculty member at the University of Texas in Arlington, teaching Successful Money Management, as well as serving as a Financial Consultant and Branch Manager at
LPL Financial Services in Ft. Worth.

Bob taught himself to play the guitar, banjo and harmonica, and especially loved Bluegrass. Throughout his illness, he retained his love of Bluegrass, and would spend many hours listening to his favorite tunes.
Bob enjoyed doing things for others. In 1996 he arranged for 2 B-1Bombers from Dyess AFB to do a flyby "salute" over Seymour to kick off the 100th Old Settler's Reunion. In Ft. Worth, he was on the board of Gateway Charter School, and was instrumental in obtaining donations and funds to help establish a new facility for the school.

Survivors include his wife of 47 years, Carol Hajek Vacker of Seymour, Texas; his four daughters, Julie Wilson and husband, Louis of Wichita Falls, Texas, Jennifer Roy and husband, Sean, and their children, Ashley, Kamden, and Jake of Plano, Texas, Lori Bailey and husband, Dean, and their children, Jordan and Logan of Ft. Worth, and Karissa Gill and husband, Billy of Los Angeles, California;and his brother, Gilbert Vacker of Houston, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his dad, Emil Vacker; his mother and step-father, Janie and Willie Vacek; brother, Donald Vacker and step-brother, William Vacek.

The family would like to express deep sincere appreciation and thank you to all the family, friends, caregivers and staff of Texhoma Christian Care, and most especially the staff, caregivers and volunteer Jim Marshall from Hospice of Wichita Falls who took such wonderful care of Bob. The outpouring of loving attention, concern, compassion and support you all gave to both Bob and me, will never be forgotten. A very special thank you to Father John, Deacon Jim and Chaplin Paul of Hospice for the spiritual peace and comfort you brought to us during our journey, and to all our parish family at Sacred Heart for your prayers and support.

Bob's productive years were cut short by a devastating illness, a severe dementia known as Pick's Disease. The disease slowly robbed Bob of his ability to remember, and shattered his communication skills. Slowly he began to lose more and more of himself. Very little is known about this disease, and the only way to find out more is by studying the brain through brain tissue donation. Bob was such a giving person, and he would want to help others by giving to this donation. Through research, hopefully we will one day find out what causes this disease, and how to help others suffering from this type of progressive frontotemporal dementia. Bob's last words" I Love You" were spoken almost three years ago. Although unable to speak, Bob had a beautiful smile, and would smile at everyone, reflecting the love he had in his heart and eyes. That beautiful smile was his gift to us, and now a precious memory. Bob was very brave and fought his battle courageously. Bob had a saying that "One always had to play the cards he was dealt"
I think he played them well.

Memorials may be made to the Hospice of Wichita Falls, P.O. Box 4804, Wichita Falls, Texas 76308; Garrison Brain Institute, Texas Tech Health Science Center, 6630 S. Quaker, Suite E, Lubbock, Texas 79413; or the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Building Fund in Seymour, Texas.

Condolences may be sent to www.seymourmemorial.com.