Palm Bay, FL - Jackson Eugene Hammond, 86, of Kezar Falls, ME and Palm Bay, FL passed away unexpectedly on March 21st in Palm Bay, FL. He was born on Febuary 27, 1934, to Carl J. Hammond and Mildred Pierce Hammond, in Porter, Maine. He attended local schools, graduating from Porter High School in 1953. After High School he enlisted in the United States Air Force and attended Orange County Community College in Goshen, NY. He was a 69 year member of the Riverside Methodist Church in Kezar Falls, where he was very active, serving anywhere he was needed.
He served in the Air Force during the Korean War, and was stationed at several different Air Force bases in the United States. He received several commendation medals… for meritorious service as Procurement Supervisor at Lock-bourne AFB in Ohio, for his service while serving duty at Don Muong Royal Thai Air Base in Thailand, as a Purchasing Supervisor at a forward US Air Force combat base in Southeast Asia (Okinawa), and was cited for his outstanding professional skill, knowledge, and devotion to duty, which contributed to his success of his units mission. He served at James Connally, AFB in Texas as a member of the Tactical Air Command that supported US ground forces with air strikes, aerial delivery of troops and equipment and other air power. At Elmendorf AFB in Alaska, he served with a unit of the Alaskan Air Command, which guarded the Arctic air approaches to North America.
After retiring from the Air Force as a Technical Sargent with 20 years of service, he served 16 years in the Core of Engineers in Anchorage, Alaska. After his retirement he and his wife moved to Maine where they built their retirement home. In later years they moved to Palm Bay, Florida and spent the winter months with their son, daughter-in-law, grandkids, and great-grandkids, returning to Maine to spend several months each summer with his family there.
He was an avid outdoors man, loving the great wild life that Alaska had to offer, and a place he lived much of his life. He took advantage of everything Alaska had to offer, from snow machining out in the back country, the big game hunting and the great fishing, where he would have to fly back back into the lakes so far from civilization. He, with his sons and a few friends, once went miles into the wilderness where they built their own mill, so they could cut out the logs to build their cabin. He was exceptionally talented and would find a way to complete any project he attempted. Whenever he borrowed a tool or piece of equipment, he said, “You need to return it in better condition than when you borrowed it,” and he always did. There was a personal rule about him - “You just do what’s right.” He was never prideful, always very kind, and always very helpful.
He was always anxious to help anyone with any project that needed to be completed. He was a handy man that was always fixing something. He always had a project to keep him busy. He loved people and learning about whatever they were doing. Whenever he would learn something from their decisions that was helpful to him, he would often say, “Oh, the power of conversation.” He was forever calling friends and family to let them know there was a particularly interesting show on, or send you and article of something he thought would be of interest to you. He could start a conversation with anyone and always had a story to tell. Nothing could slow him down!
Jack was predeceased by his parents, a brother, George Ronald Hammond, two sons, Michael C. Hammond on 6-14-2010, and Bruce D. Hammond on 7-2-2008. Surviving are his wife Patricia Fagan Hammond of 62 years and their dog Bandit, his sister Hope Churchill and her husband Tom of Kezar Falls, his son Chris J. Hammond and his wife Andrea of Palm Bay, FL, 4 grandsons, Shane Hammond and wife Kerri of Ketchikan, Alaska, Ryan Hammond of Michigan, Brennon Hammond and significant other Caiti of Wasilla, Alaska, Gabe Hammond of Sun Valley, Nevada, 2 granddaughters, Nykole Nichols and her husband Justin of Palm Bay, FL and Cayley “CJ” Hammond and her significant other Marshall Danish of Palm Bay, FL. He has 10 great-grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He will be missed by all who loved and knew him.
There will be a service scheduled later.