Margaret Eastlund Hamman

Margaret (Marni) Eastlund Hamman, 80, passed away suddenly in Surprise, AZ on July 10, 2026. Margaret was born in Chicago, IL on July 28, 1945, to Everett and Dorothy Eastlund and was a career officer in the Supply Corps, United State Navy.

Marni enlisted in the Navy at the age of twenty and was able to earn a bachelor's degree from Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL. After graduating, she received orders to attend the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA as a Contracting and Food Service Officer, earning a master's degree in management. During this time Margaret met the love of her life, Kenneth Hamman, a fellow student at the Naval Postgraduate School. Marni and Ken married on December 28, 1973, in the Naval Postgraduate School chapel. They were married for 47 years prior to the death of her husband.

Marni served many assignments overseas and stateside. Margaret’s pride was being a woman officer in the military. She always joked about how many certificates were already preprinted in masculine form. She recognized at the time women were at a disadvantage and had to prove their abilities. In the early days of her career Marni stated that she was considered the “token” female officer by virtue of sheer numbers, not skills, and found that professional achievement was often artificially limited. Over the years in her military service, she proved herself and gained the utmost respect from her male counterparts and higher ranked officers.

Included among her military awards are the National Defense Service Medal, the Navy Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, two Gold Stars, and many certificates of appreciation. Although she focused on her career, she found time for hobbies. Marni was very proficient in sewing, cross-stitching, crafting, and drawing, creating many beautiful pieces.

Marni was a beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend. She is survived by her stepdaughter, Kristin Hamman Calley (Mike), two granddaughters, Mary Stenquist (Tanner), Meghan Calley, great-granddaughter (Lainey), brother, Bob Eastlund (Annette), nieces, Erika Dobson Holguin (Jaime), Kelly Eastlund Lawrence (Justin), Jenny Eastlund, and nephew, Kevin Dobson (Erin), great-nieces/nephew, Kara Slivka, Jack Slivka, Ava Holguin, Quinn Dobson, Payton and Charlotte Lawrence.

Marni’s speech at her retirement ceremony in 1988 exemplifies how she lived her life.

“Some choices are easy, some carry risk but the fortitude to make choices allows us to grow. Choosing not to decide is a choice, but we must guard against the false security of maintaining the status quo or the natural human tendency to make only the safe decision. Barriers can be removed, but if no-one proceeds to the newly opened pathways, they slowly become overgrown and are closed once again.

I envy the young women of today. The alternatives available to them are so much broader than those open to me at their time of life. Perhaps that is why I encourage them to seize upon the challenge of choosing. To take the risk and grow. The alternative of not protecting this freedom, of losing it, is unbearable to contemplate, not only for women, for any minority group, but for our country and our way of life.”

Interment will be at a military cemetery at a later date.

Contributions can be made in Margaret’s name:

Shriner’s Hospital for Children

Military Officers Association of America Scholarship Fund

Navy Supply Corps Foundation, Inc.

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Salvation Army