More detail on this person: Douglas Paul
Hammond - January 9, 1943 - May 18, 2020 The
world lost a good one on Monday May 18th. The
final cause of death was most certainly COVID-19;
however, Alzheimer's Disease had already taken
away so many things that my father, Doug
Hammond, loved. As I started to make phone calls
to family and friends with the news, multiple
people shared that he told them if he ever gets
Alzheimer's Disease that he just wants to get in a
plane and fly it into the lake. This virus,
although terrible, let my father fly that plane.
My family is all too familiar with the disease.
My father cared for his mother, Alice Hammond
(Combs) who lived with it until she was 98 years
old. He simultaneously cared for his wife, Kathy
Hammond (O'Friel), who also suffered from the
disease for 15 years. But let me back up a bit as
he lived far too great a life to start at the end.
My father grew up in Franklin, Ohio. He was born 9
weeks before his father, Owen Clark Hammond,
was deployed by the Navy to the Pacific for World
War II. His mother, Alice Marie Hammond
(Combs), worked the night shift in a small
aircraft factory, which she rode her motorbike to
and from, so she could be with him during the day.
At 5' 10" she was a star basketball player. His
sister, Sandra Kay Harville (Hammond), was born
after the war in 1947, however sadly passed away
in 1974, leaving behind her now deceased husband
Larry, and three children. Owen and Alice were
religious and hard working. Owen (one of 9
children) was a carpenter, went to church three
times a week, and worked on the farm. Alice in
later years worked at the cafeteria at my father's
junior high school and often knew he was in
trouble before he did. My memories of being with
them include fresh picked strawberries, riding the
tractor, canned green beans, popcorn on the stove
and glass bottled sodas.
My dad loved basketball and football. He was
Co-Captain and is in the Hall of Fame for his high
school. He went on to play football at Otterbein
College where he graduated with a degree in
Education. My mom went to a rival high school in
Middletown, Ohio. Apparently, he stood her up on
their first date after her high school beat his
team that evening in basketball. Somehow, he
convinced her to give him a second try years
later.
Doug married Roberta Kathleen O'Friel on her
birthday in 1967. He had been drafted into the
Army in 1966 and got deployed to Vietnam right
after they married. One of his favorite stories,
and an event which changed the trajectory of his
life, was how he ended up as a pilot. Despite
being an athlete, at 6' 2" and 220 lbs. with 16
years of education, he was drafted and assigned to
be a cook. My dad (uninvited) went in to see the
Commanding Officer and convinced him that he
would be much more valuable to the Army as a
pilot. So off he went to OCS and flight school.
He served in Vietnam for 13 months, and was
singled out to be a platoon leader. As a gunship
pilot, he flew the Huey Cobra helicopter for the
17th CAV, which sent him to Dak-To and the
Central Highlands. During this time he was awarded
a Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and
many Air Medals. He ended his Army commitment
as a captain and flight instructor. After his
service, he got a job selling helicopters for Bell
Helicopter. There are countless stories of my dad
landing helicopters where he shouldn't. He made
an impression on one of his customers, Ray Kroc,
McDonalds Founder of the Franchisee business,
and took a job flying for him. I remember flying
with him and the Hamburgler.
My dad's next career move, took our family from
Ohio to Bolton, Massachusetts in the early 80s.
He was recruited by Ken Olsen, Founder of Digital
Equipment Corporation, to start a flight
department for the company. He ended up being
Global Vice President of Administrative Services,
which included the acquisition and disposition of
Digital properties, worldwide.
I was lucky to be in Bolton kindergarten through
High School. My dad was a (loud) fixture on the
side lines of my soccer games, shouting "hubba
hubba" at both me and my friends running down the
field. He and my mom learned to downhill ski with
me and taught countless friends how to dive and
water ski. We almost always had a boat in the
driveway and he loved to take friends to local
lakes for tubing, skiing, picnics and multiple
sunsets. He also loved cars. Our driveway
required 4 wheel drive and he joyfully went
through multiple Grand Wagoneers and Broncos as
well as a John Deere tractor to help with the
plowing. He was always generous with his time
and made friends wherever he went. He picked up
hitch hikers, always stopped to help change a tire
and would plow the driveway for neighbors for fun.
He made connections with people wherever he
went, always loving to make people smile. It was
during these years in Bolton that he also started
his own "Clydesdale" team for the Boston Marathon
(he was the only member). Growing up as a star
athlete, he said completing the marathon was the
only sport he could participate in and still draw
a crowd. The last marathon he completed was the
100th Boston Marathon in 1996.
Doug retired from Digital in 2000 when it got
acquired; and moved up to Laconia, NH where he
started another career at Channel Marine on Lake
Winnipesaukee. It was there that my mom's
Alzheimer's really started impacting her daily
life and he dedicated himself to her care. The
downstairs bedroom was equipped with a hospital
bed, the bathroom made handicap accessible and
my dad slept on a twin mattress on the floor
beside her. It was during this time that my
father also became a CASA volunteer advocate for
abused and neglected children in NH. That's my
dad. Everyone knows him as kind, hard-working,
tough, funny and excessively generous. Life did
not give him a fair hand. When my mom passed
away in 2015, his Alzheimer's set in. He
maintained his love of flying and actively tried
to get a job again with Bell Helicopter. He was a
dedicated father, grandfather, and loyal friend.
Kids and dogs could always make him smile. I am
very thankful for his village of lifelong friends
who helped him and my family during this difficult
time in his life, especially Gerry Curley and
Betty Byrne who were there for the really hard
stuff.
Doug Hammond is leaving behind a loving son, John
Hammond of Manchester, NH; a loving daughter,
Lindsay Lewis (Hammond), a son in law Stephen
Lewis, and three fantastic grandkids, Stephen
"Finn" Lewis (10), Shea Lewis (10) and Ashton
Lewis (4) of Boxford, Ma; two sisters in law,
Sally Joranko of Mentor, OH and Mary and her
husband David Ballinger of Batavia, OH; four
nephews; Greg Harville and his wife Jodi of
Columbus, OH and Mitch Harville and his wife
Jennifer of Columbus, OH, David Joranko and his
wife Nora of Shaker Heights, OH, Michael Ballinger
and his wife Nicole of LaGrange, KY; four nieces,
Mindy Ballinger of Estes Park, CO, Kelly Rogg and
her husband Chuck of Batavia, OH, Katie Rodriguez
and her husband Mel of Powell, OH, and Gillian
Schoenfeld and her husband Adam of Venice, CA.
Doug also leaves behind several great nieces and
nephews. Services will be held at a later time.
Arrangements are entrusted in the care of Tighe
Hamilton Regioanal Funeral Home. In lieu of
flowers, memorial donations can be made to
Alzheimer's Association, P.O. Box 96011,
Washington, DC 20090-6011; www.alz.org
From: Betty Byrne This information was last updated 05/25/2020
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Date posted on this site:
03/10/2024
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