John Ronald "Ron" Hammel

Ron grew up in the Columbus area and spent most of his childhood in Grandview. Ron enjoyed the outdoors and was often found hunting and fishing with his beloved brother Eddie throughout their childhood. Ron’s world was turned upside down when his parents decided to divorce in March of 1958. Ron at age 16 and his brother Eddie at age 13 continued to live with their father. Then, at the age of 18, Ron enlisted in the Navy in April of 1960 and was stationed at the naval base in Norfolk, Virginia. As a child Ron enjoyed playing with Lionel electric trains and had a gift for understanding anything electrical or electronic. The Navy recognized this gift and sent him to specialized electronics and computer training and later assigned him to work on various electronic and computer systems for the Navy. Throughout his life Ron would often speak of how incredibly lonely he was during those early days in the Navy without his girlfriend Harriett and his siblings Eddie and Shirley while stationed in Norfolk. So Ron proposed to Harriett and the two of them eloped secretly in the night - escaping to North Carolina where they married on August 25, 1962 in front of the Currituck County Justice of the Peace and a couple of friends who drove down from Ohio as witnesses. Two years later their first son Kelley was born in June of 1964. Because Ron and Harriett did not want to raise their kids away from extended family, Ron decided to not re-enlist in the Navy. He was released from active duty and entered the Naval Reserves in October of 1964. After serving his 2 year commitment in the reserves, Ron was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1966 just 6 months after their second son Mike was born in October of 1965. Ron loved the Navy and had a passion for the well-being of all veterans throughout his life. For many years while living in Colorado, Ron provided military honors as a volunteer to deceased veterans at their funerals and interments.

Ron and Harriett stayed in the central Ohio area until 1970 when Ron was offered a promotional opportunity with his employer Univac if he agreed to move to St Louis Missouri. After 6 years away from his extended family in Missouri, Ron couldn’t stand it anymore; he quit his job with Univac and moved back to Ohio with no job in 1976 to be closer to his siblings. Ron was soon hired by Digital Equipment Corporation to service their computer systems where he stayed until he retired. Ron enjoyed hunting and fishing - especially fishing for Muskie in the north woods of Wisconsin. Family vacations were centered around a trip “up north” to be surrounded by nature and enjoy the company of family and friends on the pristine lakes of the north woods.

Church and God’s family were always a priority for Ron and Harriett. Countless church hayrides, hobo parties, corn feasts, Rook tournaments and Euchre parties seemed to always be hosted by the Hammels. Annual Memorial Day weekend camping trips with most of the church joining in was an ongoing tradition for many years. Ron loved singing, and people at the church would often comment about how much they loved it when Ron would lead singing.

Ron is preceded in death by, his loving wife of 63 years, Harriett Hammel. He is survived by sons; Samuel “Kelley” Hammel (and his wife Angie) and John Michael (“Mike”) Hammel (and his wife Nisha), grandchildren; Megan, Rachael, Caleb, and Nathan born to Kelley and Angie, and Alyssa and Mikey born to Mike and Nisha, and great-grandchildren; Fiadh and Maeve born to Megan and her husband Kevin Blick and Lyla and Theodore born to Rachael and her husband Matthew Conger-Eldeen. The grandchildren knew him as “Papaw”.

Ron’s celebration of life will be on Friday, March 29, 2024. Visitation will begin at 10AM followed by a celebration of life at 11AM at the Delaware Church of Christ, 71 OH-203 Delaware, OH 43015 with interment to follow at Kingwood Memorial Park, 8230 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, OH 43035. Ron loved pizza. A pizza and salad Lunch will be provided at the church building after the celebration of life and prior to the guided procession leaving from the church building at 1:15PM to Kingwood Memorial Park.

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