Alice Ruth (Jose) Hack

Alice Jose Hack passed away August 13, 2026 in Hudson, Wisconsin. She was born in Silver City, New Mexico, Alice Ruth Jose, on April 4, 1939; growing up in the southwest, mainly in New Mexico and Texas. After graduating from New Mexico State University in 1961, she worked on Holloman Air Force Base as a computer programmer. She met and married her husband of 54 years, William Frank Hack (predeceased). They settled in Rockford, Illinois, where she programmed machine tools for Sundstand Aviation and Greenlee Corporation, before starting a family in 1964. She continued part-time programming while her children were young, her elder son remembers the programming sheets spread out on the dining room table with numbers and “weird codes”.

Alice started substitute teaching High School math and science classes in the late 70's for the Rockford Public Schools, eventually becoming a full-time teacher at West, and subsequently Auburn High Schools. She had a passion for her students making sure they understood compound interest, so the “wouldn’t get ripped off”. She completed her Master of Arts from Saint Xavier University in 1994.

After retiring, Bill and Alice moved from Rockford to Fort Davis, Texas, near her childhood home; where they built another home, escaping the cold northern winters. She was very active with the Fort Davis United Methodist Church, including a Tuesday lunch program for the local students. She was also a polling official for primary and general elections.

Alice enjoyed traveling and was fortunate enough to make several trips to Europe, visiting Alaska, Hawaii, Fiji and Australia while her son and family were stationed there. She fondly remembers her grandson teaching her to “hop like a kangaroo” during their visit.

Alice started learning to play the harp in the late 70's; her children remember her practicing in the evening after they were in bed. Once she got comfortable enough playing for others, she would play at church events, including Christmas. She also played at local retirement homes, until she could not read the music anymore.

The family spent a majority of their summers vacationing in Northern Wisconsin and built a home off Lake Owen, on property which had been in the family since 1930. This became a second home for Alice, where she visited for the last time over the 4th of July with her family before passing. She loved it there.

She is survived by her two sons, Steve (Susan Brenteson), who passed away two days later from liver cancer, and Bill (Ruby); grandchildren, Alexander (Hannah) and Elise; great-granddaughters Charlotte and Madelyn; sisters Martha (Dale) Heitmann and Jane Inman; along with nieces, nephews, and many cousins.

A celebration of life will be held in the summer of 2027.

If desired, in lieu of flowers the family has requested that memorial contribution be made to one of the following organizations;

American Cancer Society https://donate.cancer.org

St Judes Children Hospitals https://www.stjude.org/donate

Safe Hands Rescue https://safehandsrescue.org/donate/

Fort Davis United Methodist Church in Fort Davis, TX. https://fdumc.org/

Cremation services are entrusted to O’Connell Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Hudson. For more information or to share a memory, please visit www.oconnellfuneralhomes.com or call 715-386-3725