Person Page - 4788

Gardner Girl, Russell Sackett To Wed Sept. 25
Gardner—Mr. and Mrs. Walter Jillson of 186 Chestnut St. have announced the engagement of their daughter, Faith Elizabeth, to Russell Dean Sackett of 62 Wellington Ave., Pittsfield, son of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Sackett of Westfield. The wedding will take place Sept. 25.
     Miss Jillson, a 1946 graduate of the University of Massachusetts, is a registered medical technologist.
     Mr. Sackett, who is a draftsman in the power transformer department of GE in Pittsfield, graduated in 1940 from Springfield Technical High School.

—The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 23 Jun 1954, p 15

Russell D. Sackett Sr.
Pittsfield — Russell D. Sackett Sr., 69, of 476 Crane Ave. died Friday at his home of cancer of the pancreas and liver and hyperparathyroidism.
     He was born in Springfield on Oct. 16, 1921, the son [of] Herbert H. and Jennetta Dean Sackett. He graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1940, after which he entered the GE apprentice program.
     Mr. Sackett retired from GE as a manager of computer and control drafting with 42 years of service.
     An Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Sackett served with the 307th Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, Company F. He was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received on Okinawa.
     Mr. Sackett was a member of the First United Methodist Church and a charter member of the Springside House Greenhouse Group. He was also a member of the GE Quarter Century Club and the Retired Drafting Organization and was Boy Scout Troop 1 committee and merit badge counselor.
     He was an avid gardener and was known for his flowers and tomato plants. He enjoyed fishing for trout and woodworking.
     He leaves his wife, the former Faith E. Jillson, whom he married Sept. 25, 1954; a son, Russell D. Sackett Jr. of Pittsfield; a daughter, Miss Rebecca D. Sackett of Pittsfield; two sisters, Mrs. Janet S. Meacham of Westfield and Mrs. Ruth S. Thomas of Columbia, S.C., and five stepgrandchildren.
     He has donated his eyes to the New England Eye Bank and has donated his body for research at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Cremation will follow.
     There will be no funeral. A memorial gathering will be Tuesday from 7 to 9 at First United Methodist Church.
     In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.

—The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 30 Jun 1991, p 10

Faith J. Sackett
1926-2008
Pittsfield—Faith J. Sackett, 81, formerly of Crane Avenue, died Monday afternoon, March 10, 2008, at Hillcrest Commons after a long battle with diabetes and Alzheimer's Disease.
     Born June 17, 1926 in Gardner, daughter of Walter and Elizabeth Jillson, she was a 1943 graduate of Gardner High School. She also graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, with a degree in medical technology in 1946.
     After graduation, she began her career as a medical technologist in the laboratory at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, Conn. Faith worked in Leominster Hospital before moving to Pittsfield in 1954. She was employed at the former Pittsfield General Hospital and Hillcrest Hospital in the chemistry department of the lab for many years, retiring in 1982.
     Mrs. Sackett was a member of the First United Methodist Church. She was member of the American Guild of Organists and was a substitute organist for many area churches.
     She enjoyed gardening, bowling, traveling, baking pies for church dinners, singing in the choir, playing bells in the Aldersgate bell ringers and playing the organ and piano. After retirement, she assisted her daughter with running a home daycare.
     Her husband, Russell D. Sackett: Sr., whom she married on Sept. 25, 1954 in Gardner, died in 1991.
     She leaves a son, Russell D. Sackett Jr., and a daughter, Rebecca D.,Sackett, both of Pittsfield; a sister, Janet Morse of West Hartford, Conn; five step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.
     Funeral notice: Faith has donated her body to the University of Massachusetts Medical school. A memorial gathering will be held Wednesday, March 19, 2008, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 55 Fenn St.

—The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 13 Mar 2008, p 14

On dean's list
Martin Alan Temple of Cummington and Russell Dean Sackett Jr. of 476 Crane Ave. are among students at the University of Maine at Orono who have been named to the dean's list for the fall semester.

—The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 14 Feb 1981, p 6

Russell Sackett Obituary
Russell Dean Sackett, Jr., 65, passed away at home on November 9, 2023, after a brief but courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. His loving wife Mary-Jane and children were by his side.
     Russ was born on May 27, 1958, in Pittsfield, MA to the late Faith and Russell D. Sackett, Sr. He graduated from Pittsfield High School in 1976, and received a bachelor's degree in Forest Management from the University of Maine in 1980. An avid outdoor enthusiast, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout and was a Boy Scout Troop 1 leader.
     Russ and Mary-Jane (Ryba) were married on October 6, 1990. Russ was a devoted and supportive stepfather to his five children, Sarah Scarola (Peter) of Plymouth Meeting, PA, Karen Potak of Pittsfield, MA, David Potak (Ria Kristiana) of Charlotte, NC, Catherine Potak of Northampton MA, and Laura Potak-Gibbs of Bryn Mawr, PA. Russ was dearly loved by his eight grandchildren: Marlon Binns and Quincy Abellie, Isabella and Autumn Scarola, Charlotte and Connor Potak, Summer Potak-Gibbs, and Carys Potak.
     He was a registered professional land surveyor and founded Sackett Survey Services Inc. in 1993. He was well-known and highly regarded throughout the surveying community. He enjoyed traveling with his wife, exploring such far-reaching locales as Alaska, Peru, and most recently, New Zealand. He also enjoyed hiking, cycling, and was an avid downhill skier, working as a volunteer Ski Ambassador at Jiminy Peak for the last 8 ski seasons. One could often find Russ working on a home improvement project or enjoying a good book. He was a jack-of-all-trades and known for his thoughtful and easy-going nature.
     Russ was predeceased by his sister Rebecca Sackett and his son-in-law Dawud Potak-Gibbs.
     In his final act of generosity, Russ bequeathed his body to the University of Massachusetts Medical School, contributing to the advancement of knowledge and medical research.
     A celebration of life will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Russ's name to Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity or the American Cancer Society.

—Legacy.com, Berkshire Eagle, 14 Nov 2023

Pittsfield – Rebecca Diane Sackett, 57, of North Pearl Street, died at Berkshire Medical Center on Saturday, March 18, 2017. She had been a patient at the Hillcrest Commons Nursing Home since January of this year.
     Born in Pittsfield on August 22, 1959, she was the daughter of the late Russell Dean Sackett and Faith Elizabeth Jillson Sackett. Rebecca was educated in the Pittsfield Public School System and was a 1978 graduate of Pittsfield High School. After graduation she ran a home-based family daycare for many years, and volunteered in the First United Methodist Church Sunday School nursery.
     Rebecca enjoyed listening to music, and kept up with current events by watching television and reading the newspaper. She liked to remember her friends and relatives by sending them cards on their birthdays and on holidays. Her constant companion was her cat, Sneakers.
     She is survived by her brother Russell D. Sackett, Jr. and his wife Mary-Jane Ryba Sackett of Pittsfield. She also leaves several cousins, nieces and nephews.
     Services: There are no funeral services planned. Donations in Rebecca's memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association or to the National Kidney Foundation.

—Legacy.com, The Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 29 Mar 2017.