Earl Horton Hammond

Earl Horton Hammond of Sisters died on Wednesday, March 1 after suffering from lung cancer. He was 84.

Horton was born July 1, 1921, in Fremont, Nebraska to Jessie Horton and Earl Russell Hammond — known to the grandchildren as “Grannan” and “Dad.”

He grew up with two siblings: Katherine, his elder sister by 10 years, and brother Jack, his elder by eight years, both whom preceded him in death.

He met his wife of 62 years, Julia Shingle Ludwick, in the summer of 1940 in Sequoia National Park where they both worked for several summers between college. They were married in Media, Pennsylvania on June 30, 1944. Horton had just graduated from Officer Mid-Shipman School at Columbia University. He served as a Navy Officer during World War II in the South Pacific aboard PC-581.

Upon returning from the Navy in December of 1946, he went to Berkeley, California, where he finished his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical/Civil Engineering at the University of California Berkeley. He and Julia moved to Long Beach, California and lived for 35 years raising four children: Mary Lynn, 58; Nancy, 53; Barbara, 52 and Bill, 51.

He enjoyed a long career in engineering and retired from Bechtel Corporation in 1989. He and Julia sold the family home in Long Beach and after six months of travel, settled in Sisters.

Horton founded the Sisters chapter of Habitat for Humanity. His involvement with Habitat led him to travel to Americus, Georgia, where he and Julia met President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn.

Thirty-seven homes have been built in Sisters over the past 15 years by volunteers, generous charitable donations and the owning and operating of its own thrift store located in the town of Sisters.

Horton is survived by his wife Julia; four children; two son-in-laws, Ben and David; a daughter-in-law, Maxine; 12 grandchildren, Matthew, Kelli, Lynnann, Amber, Jewel, Michael, Shawn, Hana, Nicholas, Ashley, Chelsea and Jesse; and four great-grandchildren, Kelsey, Jacob, Mackenzie and Zachary.

He will be missed and he was loved by family and friends “up to the moon and back.” Charitable contributions may be made to Habitat for Humanity or Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church.