Marshall Jones Hammer's Obituary
Written in loving memory by his sister and brother-in-law, Darnell and Andy, for his nephew and nieces, Matthew, Rachel, Ashley, their spouses, Jen, Charlie, Ian, and grandnephews and nieces Nicholas, Ella, Alexander, Ava, Brendan, Calista, and Julia Grace, his cousins, Fred and Bob Bringhurst, and their spouses, June and Kathy, and for his many friends:
On July 12, 2026, Marshall Jones Hammer, died at Mountain View Hospital in Payson, Utah, lovingly embraced by members of his family. He was born to Wendell and Pearl Jones Hammer in El Centro, California on June 3, 1939. Wendell left his one room 1st -6th grade elementary school teaching job in El Centro to join the Army Air Corp at the start of WWII. With the birth of Darnell in 1943 in Chico, California, the Hammer family was complete. Together they lived in many places in the United States and Europe. California was the place they loved the most.
Marshall was the best big brother. He modelled a love of books, music, language, geography and geology, storytelling, and adventures that they would do together, often on the level of kid crime detectives like the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew, or WWII type adventures against large “evil” enemies trying to defeat democracy and end personal freedom (movies of the 40s and 50s provided accents, villains and heroes, and airplane hangars on the base producing spy-like atmosphere to hide among the planes, with a lily pad-filled lagoon on the base an easy bike ride, providing jungle settings). Almost every night after homework, the family listened to music or played board games, and every Sunday evening they listened to special dramas and comedies on their RCA Radio. Music became Marshall’s passion. He also loved board games, puzzles, Sunday morning comics and comic books, hiking, jacks, swimming, basketball, softball and baseball, and riding bikes. The Hammer household always had an abundance of newspapers, magazines, and books. The family did not have a TV until 1957, leaving Marshall to rely on reading, listening, watching, and doing to discover the whys and what’s that shaped an extraordinary life of curiosity,
Marshall and his sister went to a German middle school for the first six months of his father’s four-year tour of duty, to learn the language and make friends. Living in the village of Durlach, they met many neighborhood German children and some Americans, becoming great friends exploring the wonders of Durlach including its tram to the top of a rather high hill. They transferred to an American School in Karlsruhe when my father moved closer to his work in Pau Revere Village, an American Army Post. Marshall fell in love with the German language and culture. He quickly became fluent and had many German friends, participating in a German club of Cowboys and Indians, like our revolutionary and civil war participants, reenacting famous battles and exploring how each side lived, and got involved in a photography club. He and friends from high school spent summers and weekends at the Tullabad, an indoor swimming pool and sports facility, the first such structure in West Germany after WWII opening in 1955, and afterward, taking long bike rides with both German and American friends. He graduated from Heidelberg American High School in Heidelberg, Germany, in 1957. Andy, Darnell’s future husband, joined Marshall and family at his graduation. After a year at Georgetown University in Washington DC, he traveled to be with family in Utah, briefly attending BYU in Provo, Utah.
He joined the USAF in 1962 as a medical corpsman during the early years of the Vietnam War. Over the next few years, his language skills were recognized, and he was assigned to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, California to learn Vietnamese. He was assigned to a pacification team in Viet Nam to provide medical care in villages where his unit was located. The unit was considered American “goodwill” ambassadors. His team provided life-saving medical help and soon received invitations into the homes of villagers wary of Americans and the Vietcong. From his experiences during two tours in Viet Nam, he amassed some 2,000 slides and hundreds of pictures and letters, making friends, many who still write or call him. A prolific writer, he sent many letters and audio tapes to his family. For his service in Viet Nam, he was awarded the Bronze Star and the Republic of Viet Nam Gallantry Cross. He also received a USAF Longevity Service Ribbon with oakleaf clusters, among other recognitions. After Viet Nam, he attended supervision training, graduating with Honors to supervise medical personnel at various bases, including a Strategic Air Command Base in northern Michigan, and at bases in Turkey and Germany, among others. He achieved the title of Medical Services Superintendent with the rank of MSGT grade 7, Master Craftsman, and by rank a Non-Commissioned-Office, when honorably discharged following his last duty tour at March Air Force Base in California, close to where his parents lived.
His military service reinforced his life-long commitment to helping others. Even though Viet Nam left him with severe anxiety, depression, and PTSD, these conditions did not interfere with making many friends nor from participating in church and community activities, most related to health and social well-being.
Marshall went to the United Church of Christ in California, engaged in issues that he cared about. He earned the California Inland Aids Project “First Employee Award” for his “dedicated commitment to reach out to and touch the hearts of others with love and acceptance.” This was such an apt characterization of his interactions, engaging in compassionate counseling and always a helping hand.
Throughout his life he also sought out fitness and sports. In high school he played tackle on the Heidelberg football team. As an adult, he ran several full marathons and, with his “brother” Andy, the Charleston WV 15-miler (he finished ahead of Andy). The summer before heading to Germany for his next duty tour, he bicycled from Florida to Morgantown, West Virginia, stopping only to eat and sleep. In his younger days, he loved his motorcycles, on which he crossed the United States several times. As he aged, despite struggling with health issues, he bicycled and hiked the California mountains around his home in Moreno Valley, California. He loved the national parks and drove grandnieces and nephew in his bedded camper on an amazing summer road trip from California to national parks and distant relatives’ farms in Utah and Idaho.
About 7 years ago, Mike – a nickname he adopted throughout his adult life-- moved from California to Cedarwood in Sandy Utah, just outside Salt Lake City. As a boy, he spent summers at his Grandmother’s home in nearby Spanish Fork, Utah, and Cedarwood’s view of the same mountains reassured him.
He lived independently at Cedarwood for six years, a time of great joy. In addition to serving on Cedarwood’s governing council and participating in many areas of community life, he wrote several reminiscences about family history and also about his own adventure-filled life. At Cedarwood, his favorite activities were poker, beanbag toss, and radio style acting. He was very good at each. He found healing acceptance there. He loved the family they became who helped him feel valued.
We remember him for speaking up on issues he cared about, no matter the cost—always with kindness toward those who saw things differently. He respected individual diversity and was inclusive in how he treated others, believing they were each equally deserving of a good life. Throughout his life, he helped others see their worth. At the time of his death, his sister found many letters from those who had the benefit of his warm guidance. Our world can ill afford to lose this brilliant, brave, and compassionate man.
Sadly, in February of this year, he suffered a stroke from which he recovered and finally moved to Bennion Veterans Home in Payson, Utah, adding a layer of happiness at the end of life. A special thanks to all Bennion staff. As they offer to all residence, they conducted a bugle blown taps farewell for Mike, with residence saluting as his family walked behind his flag draped wheelchair, down the long halls of the facility.
Many stories were shared in the hours leading up to his final hour. He asked to listen to music. His first choice was Water Boy by The Don Shirley Trio. Later he sang a few bars of Ode to Joy auf Deutsch, but it was Bach, his favorite, that he heard last. He died while Darnell held his hand on one side, and Andy held the other.
What’s your fondest memory of Marshall?
What’s a lesson you learned from Marshall?
Share a story where Marshall's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Marshall you’ll never forget.
How did Marshall make you smile?