Hans Hamm

Hans enjoyed pointing out the room he was born in on Bartlett Avenue in Milwaukee in 1924. His parents were Victor Carl and Pearl Morgan Hamm. His siblings were Morgan and Mardie (Jim) Goodwillie. Early on, he discovered the joys of swimming and boating and the games of cribbage, sheepshead and bridge. These pastimes became lifelong pleasures. (He was still playing sheepshead and cribbage weekly at the Avalon only days before his passing.) He attended Riverside High School and then the University of Wisconsin, where he majored in engineering and met his “lovely bride,” Joan Youmans.

After brief employment at an engineering firm, he proudly joined the Youmans family at The Waukesha Freeman. Here he held several positions, including that of business manager and display advertising director. While advertising director, he called weekly on local merchants and came to know the pulse of Waukesha’s downtown business economy. Hans believed that since he was making a good living in the community, it was important that he give back. He served several years on the Waukesha Memorial Hospital board and headed up the United Way fund drive. In contacts he had with our Waukesha YMCA – a males only organization at that time - it came to his attention that participation there was not an approved activity for catholic youth. Hans contacted and encouraged the Milwaukee Archdiocese to reconsider their position, which they did, and ultimately agreed that allowing catholic boys to join was the right decision. Also, while Hans was past president of the Y, there was an attempt by Chicago investors to buy the Phantom Lake Camp property and subdivide it. Along with then president of the Y, Chuck Mead, he launched an effort to raise enough money from local businesses to try to stop that. Within the three week deadline, the two had managed to get the backing to purchase Phantom Lake for the Waukesha YMCA and the community.

Hans held himself to a high standard and expected that of his eight children as well. Honesty and integrity were important virtues. He could be a stickler when it came to the proper use of the English language. In a humorous vein though, he reminded his family for years of how he was on a mission to keep alive the use of the semi colon. He also had a fascination with numbers and often commented on their importance and possible significance. We think his passing on 2/20/2020 would have pleased him.

He valued the pursuit of excellence in all fields – but especially in academics and competitive sports. He loved nothing better than watching and following his children and grandchildren in swimming, diving, gymnastics, tennis, volleyball and more. While polio at 16 years of age had cut short many competitive athletic opportunities, he remained able to play very respectable games of golf and tennis. He enthusiastically celebrated Christmas, and one year he showed up at each of our homes with a bag of pecans and said we would have a family cookie contest, with specific rules. That tradition continued for many years and the competition was lively and fierce and eventually passed on to the next generation. The last several years he sent out a daily email to all his children, letting them know he was fine and weighing in on the events and news of the day. They often featured his strongly held beliefs and dry sense of humor and they were eagerly awaited and rehashed among us. In addition to the joys and challenges of raising a large family together, he and Joan partnered up to play social tennis, duplicate bridge and to learn about and collect early American antiques. But underlying everything he did, was his abiding and dedicated love of family. He cooked and baked for us, he hosted countless family gatherings, he sent hand written birthday cards to three generations, and he gave us the great gift of his committed devotion to his wife of 69 years. In a letter he wrote to Joan on their 20th anniversary, he said, “When they look back on old Hans and Joan many years from now, I’m sure that only one accomplishment will be recalled. Certainly, that will be our large and wonderful family.”

Among those missing him deeply will be his children, Susan (Robert) Waite, Sandy (Colleen) Hamm, Morgan (Pamela) Hamm, David (Laura) Hamm, Paul, Mark, Margaret (Karen McCaffery) Hamm and Daniel Hamm. Also, his 17 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren, his sister-in-law Miriam Youmans Wellford and other friends and relatives.

Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the caring staffs at Waukesha Memorial and Angels Grace. You provided welcome comfort and support.

If anyone wishes, donations can be made to Avalon Square in Waukesha or Angels Grace Hospice in Oconomowoc. The family anticipates holding a memorial service for Hans in the coming months. Details to follow.