Jimmy Hackett remembered as 'mayor of Market Street'

Editor's note: This story was originally published Dec. 28.

Jimmy Hackett, who helped turn a Market Street deli into a downtown Wilmington fixture and became an enthusiastic advocate for the central business district, died Dec. 28 of pancreatic cancer. The longtime owner of Leo & Jimmy's Delicatessen was 85.

Hackett, known as the "mayor of Market Street," kept his characteristically positive attitude even in the last few weeks of his life, said Dave Feasel, a close friend. After being admitted to Christiana Hospital, Hackett still used the two words that had become his catchphrase over the years.

“I asked him how he was feeling and his answer was, ‘super good,’ ” Feasel said. "He always said he was super good."

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The mantra appeared on a piece of paper posted on the front window of the 728 N. Market St. deli Monday morning, a makeshift memorial that includes several photos, including one with Hackett giving a wide grin and holding a large sandwich in each hand. The window also bears a notice to customers about the death, adding that the deli will be closed temporarily and inviting them to attend services at the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew at noon Thursday.

Family members said they hope to reopen the store next week.

Hackett, of Hockessin, had two daughters and three grandchildren.

Daughter Sherri Hackett on Monday said she and her mother will keep the deli open now to continue her father’s legacy. She remembers her parents working hard to move the deli and set up the new shop without missing a day of business.

“I was 8 years old and we had a picnic on the floor because there was nothing in here,” she said. “After that, each Christmastime I remember my uncles and aunts would come in and they would be here until 1 or 2 a.m. doing deli trays.”

James R. Hackett was born in Wilmington and graduated from P.S. du Pont High School, then served in the U.S. Army before getting a start in the deli business. He and Leo Rosenbaum became business partners in 1951, running deli counters at different stores in Wilmington, including Silver’s 5 and 10 Cent Store, Wilmington Dry Goods and Kresge’s Five and Dime. The pair opened their own shop in 1972 in the current storefront.

Hackett and his wife, Barbara, kept the shop open even after Rosenbaum’s death in 2003.

The deli employed many family members and family friends, who started working at the shop to earn some money during the summer months, but stayed on working even as adults. The deli also was popular with workers at the nearby Superior Court – and served meals to jury members.

The storefront, with its distinctive counters and retro feel, also endured changes in the downtown business environment as retailers and major employers shifted to the suburbs – and as developers have targeted buildings for new residential projects.

Through it all, Jimmy Hackett was a promoter of downtown, serving on the board of the Downtown Business Association, which became Main Street Wilmington. He also held positions on boards for the fire and police departments, library and the Grand Opera House.

“He was always supportive of the city and its merchants,” said Jack Buckley, owner of Ninth Street Book Shop next door.

Mayor Dennis P. Williams said Hackett was a pillar of strength and wisdom for the community.

"By consistently demonstrating his commitment to Wilmington, he will remain an inspiration to his family, friends, future entrepreneurs and community leaders. May the Hackett family find comfort and strength in knowing Mr. Hackett was loved and respected by many in our city,” Williams said in a statement.

As businesses large and small began to leave Wilmington in the last few years, he would try to change their minds or convince others to stay. While others moved because of crime, he took the safety bars off the windows of the building he owned next to the deli and proudly never put a gate in front of the large deli windows, telling The News Journal in 2012, “I ain’t afraid.”

"In every town, you kind of have someone who is like the mayor of downtown. He was really the mayor of Market Street,” said Will Minster, the director of business development at Downtown Visions and director of Main Street Wilmington. “He was always involved and was the merchant who had been there the longest.”

Wilmington City Council President Theo Gregory said Jimmy Hackett was always thinking of ways to bring more people downtown and he knew how to push them with elected officials.

"He was always being an advocate for good government and improving the downtown and the neighborhoods," Gregory said.

"He truly loved, not just the downtown, but also just the city of Wilmington," said Marty Hageman, executive director of Downtown Visions, the downtown business organization.

Sherri Hackett thinks her father’s positive outlook on life is what helped him fight his cancer, despite a grim diagnosis in October 2014 that he would have only months left to live.

“He beat those odds. I would say it was pure will,” Sherri Hackett said.

Through chemotherapy and surgeries, her father would regularly come into the store at 4:30 a.m., letting in the first customers behind him for a cup of coffee.

Although poor hearing and arthritic hands made it difficult to take orders or build sandwiches, he would insist on preparing the day’s deli meats each morning on the same silver slicer he had been using for decades. This summer, he took to sitting in a white chair just outside the large picture windows of the store, inviting anyone passing by to have a seat and enjoy the weather and chat. This was a new hobby for Hackett, who had spent most of his years at the deli working tirelessly behind the counter.

“He had a very big heart,” said Gary Lindsay, a regular at the store who came by Monday morning to read the news of Hackett's death. "One of the best people you will ever meet."

Sherri Hackett remembers her father as a champion of Wilmington’s downtown who never treated anyone different from the next, no matter their circumstances or appearance.

“One thing about my dad, he treated everyone the same,” she said. He would remember little details about their families or their jobs and took an interest in getting to know them. That personal touch kept customers coming back for generations, she said.

“Every day, somebody comes in here and shares a memory,” said Sherri Hackett, remembering one customer a few weeks ago who remarked that she had been eating sandwiches since before she was born because her mother used to eat them to satisfy pregnancy cravings.

Other loyal customers religiously came to get delicacies like chipped beef for the holidays each year.

“They could get it at the market, but they have to get it here," she said.

Feasel said those connections kept Jimmy Hackett going — it was his mission to help others.

“He just loved the city and the people here," Feasel said, "and he loved to serve the people and create a community."

Contact Jenna Pizzi at jpizzi@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2837. Follow her on Twitter @JennaPizzi.