He spent his early years in Buhl, Idaho until the family moved to Benton City, Washington.
Ernie attended Kiona-Benton High School, excelling in math and basketball, and graduated in 1967. He attended Perry Technical Institute, graduating in 1969. Ernie was also an instructor at the school from 1975-1978 and served on the Advisory Board for the Instrumentation Program for over 35 years. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1971, serving aboard the USS Iwo Jima, and was honorably discharged in 1973. He married Leandra (McGrath), the mother of his two children, on July 6, 1971, and they were married until her death in 1988. Ernie obtained his degree from City University. He studied tirelessly for and passed the Professional Engineering exam in electrical engineering, and received his engineering license in 2001. Ernie worked at the Hanford site for many years, commuting from Yakima. He was the Electrical Engineering Lead at WRPS-Hanford at the time of his retirement in 2011. Shortly after his retirement, Ernie started his own Hamm Consulting firm.
Ernie had many talents and was always happy to help or teach. He was accomplished in carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. He built his first home in 1975 and did most of the remodeling of his current home, the “302 House.” He was fascinated with anything related to computers and enjoyed technical challenges. His greatest joy came from time spent with his family and in recent years treated them to vacations in Sunriver, Oregon that were full of wonderful memories. He was a life force, a tease, whip smart, and a very loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and brother.
Ernie is survived by his wife of 17 years, Kathleen, of Yakima; two children, Jennifer (Jason) Webber of Bangkok, Thailand, and Jason (Wendi) Hamm of Portland, Oregon; two grandchildren, Ellie and Kate Webber of Bangkok; and one brother, Marvin (Brenda) Hamm of California.
Ernie was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Leandra, his sister Leola, and his brothers Robert, Jim, and Gerald.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Perry Technical Institute or the Yakima Tennis Club in memory of Ernie.
“Keep serving those lefty aces, ErnDog! We love you. Rest in peace.”
A private family committal service will be held at Calvary Cemetery. A celebration of Earnest Hamm’s life will be planned for early summer. To celebrate the life of Earnest and share a memory visit www.lepfuneralhome.com.
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