David Jay Ham

David J. Ham passed away on November 30th, 2021 at the age of 72. He is survived by his wife, Susan Cheney Ham of Indianapolis, daughters Laura Buening of Indianapolis and Alison Ham of St. Germain en Laye, France, seven grandchildren (Emily, Olivia, David, Charlie, Nathan, Abby and Emeric), sisters Joan Dengerink of Vancouver, Washington and Jana Swalley of Centennial, Colorado and brother Gregory Ham of Englewood, Colorado. He was preceded in death by his parents Elmer Ham and Claire Ham. David was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and graduated from Metropolitan State College at Denver in August of 1971 with a degree in history and secondary education. After marrying, he and Susan taught high school in Victoria, Australia and backpacked from southeast Asia to Europe from 1972 to 1974. He earned an M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in August of 1976 and a J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1978. He was in-house counsel for Amax Coal Company in Gillette, Wyoming until 1987 and then in Indianapolis until 1993. From 1993 to 2021 David practiced law from an office in his home, focusing first on family law and then on Social Security Disability. In his work he sought to be of service to those in need and gave generously of himself to his clients and colleagues. He appreciated the independence that private practice afforded him and spent as much time as he could hiking, rock climbing, skiing and spending time with family. For almost 40 years he ran 100 miles a month, usually with the family dogs and often in unexpected places that he enjoyed exploring. David also gave generously of himself to his grandchildren, attending their sporting events and school productions, visiting them in France and sharing his love of the outdoors with them. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. David was deeply grateful for the opportunities given to him by publicly supported education. If you would like, in lieu of flowers, you may honor his memory with a contribution to The Advancement Center for Washington Township Schools: https://www.advancementcenterwts.org/online-giving-form/. The memorial service has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 30th, 2022 at 11am at Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis, 615 West 43rd Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46208. The service will also be live streamed for those who wish to attend virtually. Contact the family or UUI for the link.