Albin C. Hammond

Our dad died at home on Sunday, March 29, 2015, from complications of Parkinson's and old age. He was doing pretty well, all things considered, until one month prior, when aspirate pneumonia put him in the hospital, and afterward, in hospice care.

Albin C. Hammond was born in 1920 in Miles City to Thomas and Minnie Hammond. He was a Depression-era kid who always had a job from the time he was a young boy; his first was selling newspapers. He had a great fondness for Miles City, and his best friends were the ones he made as a boy growing up there. He and his friends sought adventure hopping freight trains from Miles City to Forsyth in the summer, and riding the ice floes on the Yellowstone in the winter.

After graduating from high school, he went to Southern California where he was employed as a sheet metal worker before being drafted into the Army in 1943. He went through basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia, where he received certification as a paratrooper and heavy machine gunner. He was a member of the 11th Airborne Division and served in the Pacific Theater, first in New Guinea and then the Philippines, where on Feb. 23, 1945, he participated in the raid at Los Banos resulting in the liberation of 2, 147 civilians and internees. Until his discharge in December 1945, he was part of the occupation of Japan.

Upon his return to the United States, he attended the University of Montana until he was hired as a smokejumper in the summer of 1946. Due to his background in first aid, he was assigned to many rescue jumps, most notably the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake. In 1961 he was placed in charge of the Region One helicopter program becoming a helicopter pilot himself. We loved it when, after work, he would take one of us with him when he flew for leisure. He had an impressive 31-year career with the Forest Service, retiring in 1974.

He met our mother, Maxine, at a Moose Lodge dance in Missoula in 1948. He was a shy, quiet person who met his match in her. One of the highlights of their courtship was motorcycling with friends on his Harley. They were married in 1951 and had 63-plus memorable years together, 33 of which were spent at the home they built on the east shore of Flathead Lake.

Albin was a quiet, thoughtful person who held values of integrity, modesty, resourcefulness, respect and generosity. He treasured his home at Flathead Lake, enjoying many good times with family and friends. His enthusiasms included his family, Flathead sunsets, Montana history, aviation, exploring nature, stamp collecting, golfing, reunions with his paratrooper and smokejumper comrades, growing champion hollyhocks, homemade ice cream and a good piece of pie. He leaves behind his wife, Maxine; sons, Shaun and Jon (Carolina) and grandson Martin; daughter, Aprille (Chris Autio); his brother, John; several nieces and nephews; and grand dogs, Paco and Pepe.

There will be a gathering with family this summer to celebrate his life.
Read Albin Hammond's Obituary and Guestbook.