Hamill, Robert
HAMILL, Robert William "Hammer"
Robert William "Hammer" Hamill, 88, passed away peacefully at home in Cumming, Georgia on January 4, 2022, after a courageous battle with liposarcoma. He was born in Kansas City, Missouri to Thomas Charles "Charlie" Hamill and Thelma Louise Zink. Hammer served honorably in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Stuttgart, Germany where he worked as a cartographer. He earned the Army Occupation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.
Hammer lived in Minnesota for many years, as well as Texas, South Dakota, and Iowa, and earned an MS in Geology from USD. After graduation, he initially worked in recruiting at Management Recruiters. Over the last twenty years of his career, he joined forces with Courtney Howe to form Robert Howe and Associates, where Hammer's work ranged from textiles to pharmacy, until he established a specialized niche in pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete (Metromont and Core Slab, to name a couple). Working into his 80's, Hammer was known throughout the profession for thoroughly vetting every candidate and their workspace, causing him to earn the respect of his clients and peers, and the camaraderie of the leaders in the field.
While driving delivery trucks in college, Robert was a groomsman in a wedding for a fraternity brother. There he met a TWA flight attendant named Janet, who was there for her sister, the bride. Hammer was immediately smitten, but she was already engaged, so he wooed her aggressively long distance, which led to a brief courtship, elopement, and 44 years of marriage, until her death from Leukemia (CLL) in 2003.
Hammer was not an ordinary septuagenarian. He remained active, youthful, and physically fit throughout his life through marathons, tennis, cycling, dancing, movies, and regular visits to his local gym six days a week. Hammer was proud to be a Century Rider and completed multiple 100-mile rides even into his seventies.
At age 73, Hammer met his second wife, Linda, 20 years his junior. She said, "this isn't going to work; my parents are just four years older than you." Despite the large age difference, they became inseparable, fell in love, and enjoyed fifteen wonderful years of marriage.
Hammer is survived by his wife, Linda Hamill; sons, Brent Hamill of Lakewood Ranch, FL, and Tim (Laurie) Hamill of Johns Creek, GA; five grandchildren: Thomas Hamill, Sophia Hamill, Mia Hamill, Ashley Hamill, and Chase Hamill; a stepson, Jason (Jasmin) Allgood of Milton, GA; as well as countless friends, both locally and internationally, and neighbors whom he loved like family. The family is eternally grateful for the personal contributions and assistance of neighbor, Rami Yehudai and caregiver, Sierra Penley.
Details of Hammer's Celebration of Life will be released at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Hammer's memory to one of the following: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center or Great Pyrenees Rescue of Atlanta.
