Lyle Dean Hammack

At 57 years his journey came to an end at the Veterans Hospital in Portland. Lyle Hammock lived in Eugene; he was raised in Sisters where his heart was always at. He was born in Redmond to Wesley Milton Hammack and Donne Lee (Abbott) Hammack.

Lyle married Margie Lea (Smyth) Hammack in Sisters May 25, 1974. They own five acres in Eugene and have two horses and two dogs; George Strait and Bubba, who they love dearly.

Lyle went to school in Sisters when it was a quiet little logging town of about 600 people. In 1968 Lyle joined the Marines during the Vietnam conflict. He received the Good Conduct Medal & National Defense Service Medal and an honorable discharge from the Marines as a Corporal. He belonged to the U.S.M.C. Reserve Force until 1975. He was a true warrior, a true Marine and fought hard to live. He stood for something and fought for what he believed in.

Coming from a family of eight kids, he was tough and had a heart of gold. Lyle loved all kids and had time for them. He loved his nephews and nieces and was a second father to them. He would even get down in the dirt and play with the Tonka trucks and build roads with them.

Lyle worked in the woods and drove for Harold Barclay Logging in Sisters. He moved to Eugene and worked several different jobs: logging, driving cattle truck, fertilizer truck and as a brand inspector. He also traveled to Tennessee with Frank White to show Tennessee Walking horses. He was a man of many hats.

Lyle was a cowboy. "Ranch and Rodeo." He worked the wild horse race with his brothers Jack and John and his friends. They were undefeated in the 1970s and early '80s. He also team roped with his family, Tom, John, Ron and Jay Hall and his brothers and friends. He belonged to the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association and judged many rodeos and high school rodeos. When his nephew John Hall presented Lyle with the P.R.C.A. Columbia River Circuit Finals buckle that he won in steer wrestling, Lyle was ecstatic and wore it with pride.

Lyle helped produce his family's "Bull Bashes" in Central Oregon from 1992 to 1997. When he got well he had a dream to raise P.B.R. bucking bulls. He never missed P.B.R. bull riding on TV. He knew the bulls and he knew the riders - some personally.

He enjoyed camping, hunting and fishing. At a family pow wow one of the highlights of his life was when he received his "Chinook" Indian name honoring - given to him by his Aunt Gladyce Damewood in 2003. Lyle was proud of his Indian heritage. He believed in Our Creator, Our Great Spirit. His Indian name was "Kahkwa Nika Tum Tum" which means "As My Heart Thinks."

Lyle is survived by his wonderful wife "Margie"; mother, Dona Hammack; sisters, Patty (Patricia L. Hammack) Hall and Tom, Denise L. (Hammack) Burger and (Andy); brothers John E. and (Maura) Hammack, Jack W. and Lori Hammack, Jim E. and Kristi Hammack; and many aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and lifetime friends.

Lyle has gone to join "with a tear in his eye" his dad Milton Hammack, brother Dick Hammack, Sisters Rebecca (Becky) Sue Hammack-Ward, Uncle Verl Hammack and his grandparents, George Ernest Earl Hammack, (Hank) Abbott and Verda Dean (Bay) Abbott.

A celebration of life service will be held Sunday, February 15 at 1 p.m., at the Redmond Grange Hall with a potluck luncheon to follow.