Richard Hammer, 91, of Sheridan, passed away on Sunday, September 23, 2018, at the Green House Living for Sheridan. He was born in Billings, MT, the only son of Edward R. and Agnes C. Hammer. He lived in several Montana towns as a child before moving to Sheridan in 1937. He attended Linden Elementary and graduated from Sheridan High School in 1945. He received his pilot’s license while still in high school, and at the time was the youngest person ever to solo here, at 16 years old. He enlisted in the US Army and served two years between the end of World War II and the beginning of the Korean conflict.
Richard attended the University of Wyoming and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received a degree in Industrial Engineering in 1951. Upon graduation he put his degree to work at Cleveland, Ohio’s Hydreco corporation before joining his father in 1953 in owning and operating Ed Hammer Inc., the local Chevrolet and Oldsmobile dealership. Prior to retirement he served nine years as the director from Wyoming for the National Automobile Dealers Association.
He was a member of many organizations including the Elks, Rotary and the Gunpowder and Buckskin Club, and Holy Name Church. He had a lifelong interest and expertise in gun collecting, and was a member of the Society of Antique Arms Collectors.
Dick married Etta Rowland in September 1954 and they had five children; Edward (Cathy) of Billings; Patricia (Keith Davis) and Richard (Jamie) of Sheridan; Joseph (Elaine) of Ridgewood, NJ; and Jerry (Holli Garrett) of Salt Lake City. Etta Hammer preceded him in death on September 5, 2017.
The family requests no flowers. Suggestions for memorial donations are the Sheridan Senior Center, 211 Smith St., Sheridan, WY 82801 and the Sheridan Fulmer Public Library, 335 W. Alger, Sheridan, WY 82801.
A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 am on Saturday, October 6, 2018, at Holy Name Church with Father Clark Lenz officiating.
Kane Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.
