Debbie Hackman, former Evesham deputy mayor dies at 64

Debbie Hackman who served as an Evesham councilwoman from 2009 to 2018, died suddenly last night.  She was 64.

A science teacher, Hackman was first elected to the Evesham Township Council in 2009, running on a non-partisan slate with incumbent Joe Howarth.  She defeated interim Councilwoman Alicia Marrone, who was appointed after Chris Brown resigned to become a Burlington County freeholder.  Hackman won with 61.5% of the vote.

When Evesham switched to partisan elections in 2010, Hackman joined a Republican ticket headed by mayoral candidate Randy Brown.  She defeated her Democratic rivals, Kathleen Santomero and Mark Ornstein, by roughly 1,500 votes.

Hackman was re-elected by about 2,400 votes in 2014.

In 2018, a heavily Democratic year that saw Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) unseat two-term incumbent Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-Toms River) in  New Jersey’s 3rd district, Republicans lost Evesham.  Jackie Veasy was elected mayor, 52%-48%, over Hackman’s running mate, Councilman Steve Zeuli.  In the township council race, Democrat Heather Cooper (10,917) and Patricia Hansen (19.905) unseated Hackman (9,763).  The other Republican candidate, Jay Levenson, finished fourth with 8,497 votes.

She served multiple terms as deputy mayor.

“Her many years of public service and volunteer efforts in Evesham reflect her strong dedication to helping her community and the residents she served,” said Veasy.  “She took especially great pride in guiding our local youth, and the lessons she imparted on the importance of community service will live on for years to come in the future leaders who were fortunate enough to learn from her.”

Veasy said flags in the township will be lowered to honor Hackman’s life.

Brown, who spent more than a decade in local government with Hackman, called her a “dedicated public servant, committed to making Evesham Township a great place to live and raise a family.”

“Her contributions to our community and her impact on residents will continue forever,” Brown said.

Hackman is survived by her husband, David, and two daughters, Abby and Rachel.