Jackie Ann Hornacek
With profound sadness we share Jackolyn “Jackie” Ann (Rozek) Hornacek, age 68, passed away peacefully, with family on June 12, 2021, after an incredible fight with COVID. In her words, she would have said, “it was a no-win situation.” Jackie is survived by her beloved husband Mart of 49 years.
Jackie was born to Raymond and Janice Rozek on August 7, 1952 in Bay City and grew up in Pinconning, Michigan. She met the love of her life, Martin Hornacek, on August 1, 1971, over a bottle of juice at his family’s IGA Store. Mart asked the guy he was working with, “who is that?” The man replied, “Jackie Rozek.” Mart said at that moment, “I want to marry her,” and a year later on October 7th, 1972, they did. There was nothing Jackie loved more than Mart. Anything she could do to support and encourage him, she did. They were truly Mr. and Mrs. Northwoods. They welcomed two daughters in the coming years, Amy and Jennifer, and Jackie was so happy.
Jackie was a caregiver and nurturer by nature. If she wasn’t helping family, friends, or offering support to a neighbor, she was helping save lives at Northern Bay Ambulance, as an EMT. She and Mart together, helped many people and families, over many years. Jackie was the person you could call, and without hesitation would be there for any family member or friend. She would literally drop everything and do the right thing to comfort, support, or console a loved one. Her warm smile greeted everyone with such joy.
Jackie had a love of flowers, and she was a talented and thoughtful florist for many years, making many happy customers with her warm personal touches, and extra care. She always took the time to talk with her customers, and go above and beyond, to ensure their happiness and satisfaction. Jackie was so relatable and attainable. She was down to earth and warm, and that was incredibly attractive to all she met. Jackie carried her passion for floral and helping to St. Michael’s Church, where she served on the funeral planning committee. She took such pride and embraced her Catholic faith. Jackie was particular about every detail, making sure the person or families last request was met with dignity and grace. She would jump through any hoop to help make a sad time comfortable, or a little more bearable. She comforted more people than she will ever know with her warm heart and massive hugs. Jackie was a superstar hugger! She also took such pride in decorating the church for holidays, and giving every detail a last look with perfection. Her compassion and empathy were unparalleled. For this, her family will miss most. Jackie always had a hug ready and would often offer to drive hours, to give her daughters or grandkids a hug, just to brighten their day. And she did!
Jackie was a Cheerleading coach for many years and brought “her girls” to many winning competitions, and broke open the sport in her own way. “Her girls,” as she referred to them, respected and loved the passion she put into each of them, and the amount of effort she made to ensure they were all taken care of, with new uniforms, in a time when these things were overlooked. She was on cloud 9 during her years with the Cheerleading department.
Jackie loved her family more than anything. She took pride in family meals, 7 nights a week and always making Amy and Jenn special treats, after school. She loved providing anything she could for school events, volunteering and supporting their interests. She genuinely cared so much about the interests of her family and was incredibly supportive. Later in life, if she was not on the computer researching products or solutions for everyone, she was mailing cards, or emailing them. By divine intervention and her intuition, she even researched a specific dog breeder at the beginning of her COVID illness from the hospital, and is taking care of Mart, as he has her little dream Schnauzer Chessie, with him now at home. Her thoughtfulness can be expressed by so many gestures, love notes and calls. She would never think twice about dropping a care package to anyone that needed a pick-me-up, at any time in her life. Her generosity was as massive as her beautiful heart.
Jackie’s Granddaughter Molly fondly recalls all the trips she experienced with her beloved Grandparents, especially to the Grand Canyon. Her Grandchildren, Molly, Jack and Mason, all remember all the sleepovers she had and how they would all get up early together, lay in bed and listen to funny songs or videos and just giggle. Mason will forever be grateful to Grandma Jackie for securing cases of his special ketchup, when there was a shortage, days before she took ill. Jack and Mason recall “classic Grandma” treats and surprises that she would have ready, from grabbing extra Bischoff cookies on airline flights with dad to bring home to Jack, or allergy friendly finds for Mason. She took such joy in providing them comfort and support during their needs as well.
During their 49 years of marriage together, Jackie and Mart found a love of being together in their RV. It started as family summers together with extended family in Beulah and graduated to long anniversary trips to their favorite spots in the Upper Peninsula, once their girls had left home. There was nothing they loved more than packing up their pups and heading north, to their land of paradise and peace. She especially cherished this time alone with Mart, as he was away from work, and they could explore and just be together. They met such wonderful lifelong friends on their trips, who became part of the family. Mart and Jackie also loved taking drives together…sometimes to Amy and Jenn’s eye roll as children! There was not a “Solid Gold Saturday Night” in the station wagon that went unturned, for the family drive! Looking for the most beautiful Christmas lights on these drives was complete fulfillment for her, as well. As Mart, Jackie, Amy and Jenn would listen to Christmas Carols on the radio, Jackie would sing and hum along so happily to be with her family, embracing the joy of the holiday. Jackie’s love of Christmas was infectious! There wasn’t an inch of her home that wasn’t filled with the joy of the season and she passed that love onto her daughters and grandchildren as well.
Anyone who knew Jackie, knew she was the single, greatest, lifelong Detroit Lions fan possible. She took losses personally and supported “her’’ team through thick and thin.
Jackie is survived by her husband Mart, two daughters and their husbands, Amy (Wozniak) and Bob, Jenn (Pavan) and Michael and her cherished grandchildren, Molly, Jack and Mason, new pup Chessie and sister Mary Jo (John) Secretan.
Due to medical necessity for Jackie’s husband Mart, still recovering from COVID, memorial and funeral details are projected for Fall and will be announced later. The family is requesting all donations and memorials be made to the Ascension St. Mary’s Saginaw Hospital, COVID ICU at :stmarysofmichiganfoundation.org and follow prompts: Donate, Designation, “Other” and input: 7N COVID ICU in Jackie Hornacek’s name. The care, compassion and dedication from the COVID ICU Doctors and Nurses to Jackie, was nothing short of incredible. They made every effort to comfort her in a time without family present and treat her as if it were their Mom. We are forever grateful to that team, who we now refer to as family.
Lee-Ramsay Funeral Home, Pinconning, MI, was in charge of arrangements.