Robert 'Bill' Sackett

Robert Wilson 'Bill' Sackett was born on November 20, 1933 as the third of Wilbur Wilson and Edith Murphy Sackett's five children. Bill attended school in Spencer, Iowa and was a member of the first Spencer High School Basketball team to make it to the state tournament in 1952. Bill managed the delivery of the Des Moines Register throughout high school and graduated in 1953. Bill went to Iowa State College on a track scholarship and graduated in 1960 He graduated the same year from Drake Law School and returned to Spencer to join his father's law firm. Pocahontas lawyer Rosemary Shaw had first remembered meeting Bill at a Young Republicans convention in Des Moines in 1958, where he was named vice-chairman. It wasn't until 1964 that they were setup on a date and were married the same year. Rosemary joined Bill and Wilbur in the Sackett Law Firm. Bill and Rosemary practiced together for twenty years, while raising five children, until she was appointed as a judge to the Iowa Courts of Appeals in 1983. Bill's practice included time as Clay County Attorney, city attorney for Spencer, Peterson, Sioux Rapids and Okoboji. Bill loved being a lawyer and held the title with great pride and respect for the rule and spirit of the law. His career as a lawyer lasted 50 years many his clients became life long friends. Bill's other great passion was his community, as an active civic leader he was member of the Board of Governors of the Iowa State Bar Association, Clay County Bar Association, the Iowa Bar Foundation, President Sacred Heart School Board, President Spencer Hy Noon Kiwanis, Milford Kiwanis, Farmers Savings Bank Board of Directors, Commodore Okoboji Yacht Club, President Dickinson County Tax Payers Association, Parker Historical Society, Iowa Student Loan Liquidity Corporation, Board of Counselors of Drake University Law School, President University of Iowa Parents Board and many more through out the years. He was a devout Catholic and a third degree Knight of Columbus. He never missed any of his children's sporting events. Bill could be heard cheering on his children's teams from all corners of the events. Bill was drawn to the waters of Lake Okoboji and his love endured as was exemplified by his service as a long-term treasurer and board member of the Okoboji Protection Association. He was president of the Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School and had a primary role in the establishment of the current facility. Bill sailed in the weekend races with his friends into his late 70s and instilled the same love of the lake in his children and grandchildren. Bill is survived by Rosemary, his wife of over 51 years, his five children and eleven grandchildren: Murphy Sackett (wife Leslie and child Maggie) of San Diego, CA; Morgan Sackett (wife Lara, children Sam and Sophie) of Los Angeles, CA; Barry Sackett (wife JoAnne, children Kwanele, Nokubonga, Tahoe and Venice) of Okoboji, IA; Frank Sackett (wife Kris, children Luna and Sadie) of Santa Monica, CA; and Mary Sackett (husband Shawn Hartje, children Albert and Sara) of San Rafael, CA. He is survived by his three sisters Elizabeth Fleming of Bloomington, MN; Sally Eick of Traverse City, MI; and Mary Carson of Scottsdale, AZ. His brother John died of the flu in early childhood.

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