John Martin Hammond

HAMMOND, John (Jack) Martin. Departed this earth on May 20, 2021, and joined his beloved wife, Sherie, and son, John, in Heaven. Born in Los Angeles on March 20, 1932, to Fred and Marion Hammond, he attended Loyola High School, Los Angeles, and Santa Clara University, graduating in 1953 with a B.S. Degree in Philosophy. With a ROTC commission, he joined the U.S. Army and completed flight training as a fixed-wing and helicopter. Army Aviator. He was assigned to duty with the 7th Aviation Co. in South Korea from 1955-1957, returning stateside to complete instrument flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama. He joined a small group of aviators there in the early development of the armed helicopter gunship. He returned to civilian life in late 1958, although he remained active in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Captain in the 63rd Aviation Battalion at Long Beach, California. From 1958 to 1964, Jack pursued a successful career in sales and marketing in the Los Angeles area, before joining Del Mar Engineering Laboratories at Los Angeles International Airport as a helicopter test/demonstration pilot. In 1963, he met Sherie Davis, an American Airlines Flight attendant, who became the love of his life. They married in February, 1964. Jack progressed in responsibility at Del Mar, moving to executive positions in the company’s Defense and Medical Products Divisions. In 1970, Jack and Sherie were blessed with the birth of their first child John, and, in 1972, their daughter Jennifer. The 1970’s and 1980’s saw the successful development of the Del Mar Acoustiscore Weapons Scoring system, the Holter Ambulatory ECG Monitor and HydraSet Precision Load Positioner. In 1997, Sherie and Jack met with the tragic death of their son, John, in a bicycle accident on the Pacific Coast Highway in Capistrano Beach. Their daughter, Jennifer, went on to complete her studies in Applied Behavior Analysis, earning her PhD Degree from the University of Florida in 2009. Jack retired from Del Mar Avionics in 2021 as executive Vice President and General Manager. In June, 2012, Sherie passed away suddenly from cardiac arrest following a routine outpatient procedure- a devastating loss to the entire family and to their many friends. Jack is survived by his daughter, Jennifer, by sister in law Clair Hammond, by nieces Krista Tasto (Chuck) and Alisa Minear. In accordance with his wishes, there will not be a memorial service. In lieu of other remembrances, Jack requested that donations be made to Guide Dogs for the Blind or to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).