Jerome John “Jerry” Hake

Jerome
John “Jerry” Hake, 88, of Conway, South Carolina, formerly of Montrose, MO passed
away October 13, 2015.

 

He was
born on January 13, 1927 in a farmhouse near Montrose, Missouri on the coldest
day in the history of Henry County to Herman Henry Hake and Clara Kaumans Hake,
who had five children:  Harold, Jerome
(“Jerry”), Maryan, David, and Arthur.

 

Volunteered
at 17, following the footsteps of his older brother Harold, and served
courageously in the Pacific Theater with the U.S. Marines.  The smartest member of his company (based on
military test scores), he volunteered to learn Japanese to do the incredibly
dangerous job of trying to talk enemy soldiers out of bunkers.  He was later a Captain in the U.S. Air Force
reserves.

 

Graduated
from the prestigious Georgetown University Foreign Service School in
Washington, D.C.  He later earned a
Master’s in Computer Science.

 

In 1950
he married Margaret Arbuckle of Washington, D.C., who was born on the hottest
day in the history of the city.  They had
three sons: Bruce, Gordon, and Robert. 
She died in 1984.  In 1985 he
married Margaret Small of South Carolina.

 

Mr.
Hake had a distinguished career in federal government service.  He then spent many years as a computer
scientist with several large defense companies. 
He was employed into his late 70s.

 

When
his son Robert was killed in police custody in 1977, he spent many months,
after a full day of work, to make a two-hour drive to the nearest law school
library to make himself a lawyer and finally to win the case. See
http://www.leagle.com/decision/198540098NJ302_1372/HAKE%20v.%20MANCHESTER%20TP.  That’s an incredible achievement.

 

A
humble and upright man, he was always a faithful Roman Catholic.  In his retirement he worked tirelessly as a
volunteer, such as giving comfort to people in hospice care.  He had to stop that work only after going
blind from macular degeneration.

 

He is
survived by his son Bruce Anthony Hake and wife Judy Hake of Union Bridge,
Maryland; his wife Margaret Small Hake of Conway, South Carolina and her
daughters Beverly Jacobs and Sally Small; his siblings Harold Hake and Maryan
Jones of Kansas City, Missouri; and by many other relatives.

 

Mass of
Christian Burial: 200 p.m. Wednesday, October 21^stat Immaculate
Conception Catholic Church, Montrose, MO with visitation from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
prior to the service

Burial:  St. Ludgers Cemetery, Germantown, MO.

In lieu
of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Catholic Charities or Catholic
Relief Services.

Arrangements:
Hixson-Klein Funeral Home, Gower, MO