Edward Earl Ham

Edward Earl Ham aged 81, passed away on May 10, 2024 surrounded by his family. He was a beloved father, husband, grandfather, great-grandfather, and generous friend who will be deeply missed by all who knew him.

Ed was born to Olen and Flora Jean (Harris) Ham on November 14, 1942 in Flint, Michigan. Later, the family grew with the birth of his sister, Barbara and two brothers, James and Richard Ham. The family made their home in Flint.

Ed attended Beecher High School, graduating in 1960. After high school, he flew around the world getting into many adventures. In 1970 he met his wife Patricia (Byrd) in Anchorage, Alaska. After marrying and having their first child, they moved to Boring, Oregon where they raised their family.

Ed attended Mt. Hood Community College and later was the Lead Fabrication Welder at Boeing. Throughout his career, he was known for his hard work, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

Ed had a passion for airplanes and automobiles and spent many of his free hours devoted to both. He was generous with everything that he had, and taught family and friends how to fly his Piper Aztec airplane as well as shared his love for racing his ‘57 Chevy, and loved to spend summer weekends at the Woodburn Dragstrip.

More than anything, Ed was a devoted family man. He completely adored spending time with his four children, eleven grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. If there was a new baby in the family, you could be assured that it would be in his arms.

Ed is survived by Patricia, his loving wife of 53 years, as well as four children, Kimberly (Joseph) Ball, parents of Spencer and Kendall; Garth (Rachelle) Ham parents of Mariah, Nicholas (Greta) parents of Judson and Ezra, and Kobie (MacKenzie) parents of Reagan; Lance (Knicole) Ham parents of Alexandria, Braden, and Gavin; Blake Ham and his children Harper, Tristan and Lincoln. He treasured every one of them.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Olen and Flora Jean Ham, and his brother James Ham.

A celebration of life will be held on June 1, 2024 at 1:00 pm at Pleasant Home Community Church, 32120 SE Dodge Park Blvd, Gresham, Oregon 97080. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to honor how much Ed loved his babies.