Jack Hatchell: 1937-2008

Jack Hatchell, longtime Collin County Commissioner for Precinct 4 and former Plano City Council member, died at his Plano home Saturday, June 28, 2008, after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 70.

Commissioner Hatchell, a transportation engineer by trade who was re-elected to a fifth consecutive term in 2006, served on the Commissioners Court since 1986, and played a vital role in the development of many major roadway projects over the last two decades, including the President George Bush Turnpike and the Dallas North Tollway extensions.

In June, the commissioner received the William J. Pitstick Regional Excellence Award from the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the organization's highest award, for his role as “a leading pioneer who has worked for more than 30 years in city, county and regional government to make North Central Texas a better community.”

In 2005, the Texas Department of Transportation recognized his efforts in building the region’s infrastructure by giving him the Road Hand Award for leadership in promoting mobility in the county, region and state.

He was also a member – and former chairman – of the Regional Transportation Council until Spring 2008, when the esophageal cancer that he had fought since 2004 required yet another round of chemotherapy. Throughout that ordeal, however, he continued to attend Commissioners Court meetings. His last court meeting was June 23.

Commissioner Hatchell is survived by his wife of 47 years, Pat; two daughters, Amy Briggs of McKinney and Beth Jamison of Frisco; and a grandson, Jack Jamison of Frisco.

Visitation will be from 2-9 p.m. Tuesday, July 1st at Ted Dickey West Funeral Home, 8011 Frankford Road, in Plano. A memorial service will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday, July 2nd at Christ United Methodist, 3101 Coit Road, in Plano.

Commissioner Hatchell also served on the on the Plano City Council from 1975 to 1985, but his tenure as a county commissioner coincided with Collin County’s transformation from a loose-knit string of bedroom communities into one the fastest growing and most affluent counties in the nation.

Among his many accomplishments, he worked successfully to avoid county tax rate increases for the last 10 years, supported a tax freeze for senior citizens, and helped forge county-city partnerships in developing parks and trails as well as jointly funded thoroughfare improvements across the county.

The commissioner was a graduate of Texas A&M, where he earned his Bachelors in Civil Engineering, and a Masters in Civil Engineering with specialization in traffic engineering and transportation planning.

Memorials may be made to the Maurice Barnett Geriatric Wellness Center, 401 West 16th Street, Suite 600, Plano, Texas 75075; or, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486.

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