Robert Franklin Hammond, Jr., 91, of Tifton passed away Sunday, August 4, 2024, at his residence. His funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday, August 9, 2024, in the Memorial Chapel of Tifton’s First Baptist Church with the Rev. John Hughes officiating. Mr. Hammond will be laid to rest at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 8, 2024, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals.
Jeff Fender, Ken Beasley, Nate Varnadoe, and his Grandsons, Rhett Hammond, Trevor Hill and Cam Douthit will serve as pallbearers.
Born July 20, 1933, in Tifton, Mr. Hammond was the son of the late Robert Franklin Hammond, Sr. and Mollie Smith Hammond. He was also preceded in death by two sisters, Inez Foy and Madge Lawson.
There was never a dull moment when Mr. Hammond was around beginning in his very early years. His sisters fondly called him Brother and were always working to keep him out of trouble with his parents. He attended Tifton schools and was a graduate of Tifton High School. While there, playing football was his favorite part of his education. In his early adult years, after finishing his service in the Navy, he worked for Retail Credit Company in Macon, Georgia. This is where he met the “ideal” woman, Annette Poole, of Ideal, Georgia, who became his wife of 66 years. He and Annette moved to Tifton, where he managed Retail Credit Company/Equifax. He later formed his own small business, Tiftco Services, which included several entrepreneurial businesses. Most remember him for his many years as a bail bondsman. Additionally, he followed his passion for hunting and opened Ham’s Pawn and Gun Shop. He forged lifelong friendships with all of those who shopped with him and shared his love for the outdoors.
Mr. Hammond was a member of First Baptist Church of Tifton, where he faithfully served in the Records Office and as an Usher for decades. He is also a veteran of the United States Navy and was a member of the Jaycees and the Masons.
Mr. Hammond lived life BIG, enjoyed it to the fullest and loved his family and friends deeply. One of his favorite daily events was his morning gatherings with the coffee crew that began years ago in a local pharmacy and moved to Holiday Inn and ended up at Hog N Bones. Of course, nothing could top his many hunting and fishing trips with friends, where he kept them all entertained as they gathered by the fire pit with constant stories and mischievous pranks and shenanigans. His ability to make other people laugh was what he is best known for. But ultimately, his family was his deepest commitment. He was a “one of a kind” man, who his family referred to as “Happy Pappy”, a title he carried with great pride. His unique sense of humor cannot be replaced in the hearts of his family and friends.
He is survived by his wife, Annette Hammond of Tifton, whom he married on November 10, 1957; one son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Beth Hammond of Tifton; one daughter and son-in-law, Sherri and Ron Douthit of Macon; his grandchildren and their spouses, Whitney Hammond of Athens, Rhett and Madison Hammond of Tifton, Spencer Hammond of Tifton, Trevor and Kylie Hill of Little Rock, Arkansas and Cam Douthit of Macon; and two great-grandchildren, Stella Hammond and Wells Hammond of Tifton; and one sister, Leta Faye Roberts of Dalton.
The family wishes to thank the “Hammond Heroes”, Robert and Annette’s trusted and devoted caretakers.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Georgia at www.alz.org/georgia or to the First Baptist Church of Tifton, 404 Love Avenue, Tifton, GA 31794.