John Edward Hammonds' Obituary
John Edward Hammonds was born in El Paso, TX December 20th, 1936 to John Patrick and Ruth Edith Hammonds. They moved to Phoenix, AZ in 1947. John Edward graduated from North High School in Phoenix in 1955. He received his B.S. in Psychology from ASU in 1960, and his M.S. in Psychology in 1965 from the University of Arizona.
John Edward Hammonds was a polymath – a physiological psychologist, Arizona state social worker, a Juvenile probation officer for Pima Country, and a locomotive engineer for the Southern and Union Pacific railroads. He was also an inventor who received patents from the US, Canada, Japan, and the UK. He was intensely interested in education, both formal and informal, and his intellectual curiosity had few bounds. He loved art, literature, science and technology. He was an early adopter of nearly every technological innovation from the 60s to the 2000s. He loved his “day” job which was as a locomotive engineer. He always said that he never tired of the scenery and nature from New Mexico to California from the cab of his locomotive engine, and the hours of solitude allowed him to think and contemplate his next projects.
John retired from the Southern/Union Pacific railroad after 33 years of service in 1999. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Ina Price Hammonds, his son Phillip Hammonds, daughter Denee Hammonds, granddaughters, Isabel and Miranda; grandsons Phillip, Reily, and Henry.
John Edward Hammonds, our dad, was a unique and fascinating person who inspired and encouraged his children to reach whatever goals we chose. I never heard him say that we had any limitations that our desire and hard work couldn’t overcome. My mother, his wife Ina, was my Dad’s everything. He loved her deeply. He will be missed very much, but he will always be in our hearts and minds, and in our accomplishments.
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