Michael Allen Hemmer

Mike was 73 years old when he passed away peacefully in his sleep from a two year battle with colon cancer on January 10, 2025. His passing was unexpected as the family had all hoped they’d have more time with him. The family misses him terribly and Brenda still expects to hear him call for “Lips” or “Ma” to bring him some more milk. He loved his milk, always saying “It does a body good”!

Mike was born November 14, 1951 in St Paul, Minnesota to Harold and Donna Hemmer. He came from a large Catholic family of six children. There were three boys and three girls, Mike, Nancy, Randy, Cindy, Collette and John.

Mike graduated high school in 1970 from North St Paul High School and with a low draft number decided to enlist in the United States Air Force where he was trained to be a Jet Engine Mechanic. He was stationed his first three years at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona and his final year at Ubon, Thailand during the Vietnam War.

Mike met his best friend Joe Peroutka while they were stationed at “Willie”. Joe worked with Mike at the Chevron station and also went to Ubon, Thailand with him. Mike always called Joe “Laddy” and Joe always called Mike “RD” because he was such a big flirt. They were lifelong friends and kept in touch all these years through email, facebook, and phone calls. Joe would send big boxes of crab legs and salmon from Alaska where he lives. They could always talk about anything and everything and they sure did!

After his service he returned to Chandler, Arizona and married Brenda Pitzer. They made Chandler their home as Mike didn’t want to be shoveling snow in Minnesota. Mike got his Aircraft and Powerplant license and an Associate Degree in Applied Science and was hired at AiResearch, now Honeywell, as a Jet Engine Mechanic and TFE Analyst.

Mike and Brenda owned two homes in Chandler where their two daughters, Tonya and Jennifer were born. The second house was across the street from Brenda’s parents and they had poker games, played pool and swam almost every weekend with friends and family. They had great times and memories in that house and if it wasn’t on such a busy road they would have stayed there forever!

Mike and Brenda were always cat people and had a number of cats over the years including three Siamese. Their favorite was a Siamese named Rufus that they had for 16 years. Rufus slept with them and Mike would sit in his recliner and pet and brush Rufus while watching TV. He was the best cat and loved green olives!

Mike owned motorcycles ever since he could drive. He drove to and from work on his motorcycles for over 25 years, rain or shine. Tonya and Jennifer loved it when he would pick them up from school on his motorcycle. He was the “cool” Dad then!

In 1974 he also came close to dying as his bike hit gravel on his way up to Saguaro/Apache lake and he rode down the side of the mountain on his bike and luckily slid into a couple of boulders that stopped him. The car behind him said he just saw his helmet going down over the edge. Cars stopped and managed to get him and his bike back up to the road. He just had scrapes and bruises and made light of it and just worked to fix his bike. Brenda didn’t know how disastrous it could have been until he later told her what had actually happened. He had an angel with him that day!

Mike enjoyed hunting and camping with family and friends. He had a 1978 Chevy Silverado 4-wheel drive with KC lights and a rollbar he loved taking out. He never got a deer but he did get a javelina that was charging him.

Mike made a good friend of Garrett Dauphars at Honeywell who was also a motorcycle enthusiast and a pilot. Mike and Brenda would go out to birthday dinners with Garrett who only drank Coke, he loved his Coke! They also attended Garrett’s weddings in Laughlin and Sedona. Mike still kept in touch with Garrett after he retired to hear what he was up to and all his motorcycle trips which were plenty and still ongoing.

In 1987 they bought their third and final home, a single level house in Ahwatukee (Phoenix) that they made sure was in the middle of a neighborhood with all kinds of amenities nearby so that they could eventually retire there. Mike retired after 37 years at Honeywell and really enjoyed his retirement especially not getting up at 4:00 am anymore or working all the overtime.

Mike always said that one day he’d own a Corvette and he finally realized his dream after he retired by paying cash for his Silver 2012 Chevy Corvette. The neighbors knew Mike was up and about because he drove his Corvette every day and it was really loud! He was sad when he had to sell it because he couldn’t drive anymore but had great memories of it.

Mike watched the original “Star Trek” and “The Big Bang Theory” shows on TV every day. He had a diverse taste in movies and liked classic science fiction movies such as “Forbidden Planet” and “The Day The Earth Stood Still” but also liked “True Grit”, “Rooster Cogburn”, “Top Gun”, “Star Wars”, “Dirty Harry”, “Grumpy Old Men” and “John Wick” among others.

Mike could be found playing Backgammon on the computer or his phone every day, he loved the game and was quite good at it. Like his father he was always tinkering around and building things. He also enjoyed barbequing and smoking turkeys for the family Thanksgivings.

Mike enjoyed walking around the neighborhood and talking to neighbors. He made friends with a young boy named Oliver and would leave him pennies he found on his walks on the mailbox for him. Oliver wrote him a letter and drew pictures for Mike when he found out Mike was ill. Mike made a special effort to come out this past Halloween just to see and talk to Oliver. He really liked that young man.

Mike and Brenda just celebrated their 50 year anniversary on October 26, 2024. They were surprised in the morning by a yard full of 50 flamingos ordered by Brenda’s sister Cyndy and her family. It was so funny for them to see and the neighbors got a kick out of it too. Mike and Brenda were so happy to have reached such a milestone anniversary.

The family would like to give special thanks to Honor Health Cancer Care of Chandler to Dr Arun Singavi and all of the many nurses and staff that took care of him during his chemo treatments. He was especially fond of Noel (Leon backwards) and Becky who shared a love of Taco Bells Enchiritos with him. Tyler would always announce “It’s Hammer Time” whenever Mike came in for chemo. Mike really got a chuckle out of that.

Mike was a wonderful Husband and Father. The family has so many great memories of him but they will always miss and love him forever.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Hemmer (Pitzer); his daughters, Tonya (Andrew) Wanko and Jennifer (Erik) Hemmer; sisters Nancy Trumper and Collette Johnson; and brothers, Randy (Lisa) Hemmer and John Hemmer.

Mike is preceded in passing by his parents, Harold and Donna Hemmer; sister, Cindy Hemmer; step-mother, Donna M. Hemmer and his father in-law and mother in-law, Bill and Lou Pitzer; and brother in-law Bill Pitzer II.

A Graveside Celebration of Life for Mike with a video presentation and light lunch afterwards will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, May 24, 2025, all services at Valley of the Sun Mortuary and Cemetery: 10940 E Chandler Heights Road, Chandler, Arizona 85248.

No more “Belly Whompers” now Mikey!