ROBERT L. HAMMOND

Robert Leroy Hammond, 83, of Hubbell Hill, Margaretville died at Mid-Hudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie July 29, 2022, due to complications from Covid-19. He was born in Roxbury December 29, 1938 to Raymond and Vera Morris Hammond. His mother died when he was an infant and he and a sister were raised by their grandparents, Harrison and Emma Bronson Morris. Bob lived in Arena until he was ten years old, attended Margaretville Central School and served in the US Army from 1961 to 1964. While stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, Bob met Oneida Moreno. The two fell in love and were married in 1964. They would have marked their 58 th wedding anniversary on August 8. After his discharge from the service, the Hammonds lived for a time in Endicott, NY, then moved to California where they lived in San Jose for 38 years. There they raised three children – Robert Jr., now of Cherokee, NC; Kevin, who lives in Reno, NV, and Vera (Janese) of Niagara Falls. Bob was known as a gentle person (with a stubborn streak!). He was a fan of the California ball teams (the As, the Giants and the 49ers), enjoyed country western music, and had a soft spot in his heart for the English springer spaniels that shared their home. He was always supportive of Oneida's artistic pursuits. In 1995 Bob was severely injured in a work accident at Container Corporation of America. He was disabled for several years, finally regaining his ability to walk. His stubbornness, and Oneida's care, saw him through other life-threatening illnesses before the Hammonds moved back to New York to be closer to his family in 2004. Surviving in addition to his wife and children are four grandchildren, one great-grandchild and three nieces. A sister, Dorothy Clark of Oneonta, predeceased him. Arrangements were under the direction of Joseph J. Darrow Sr. Funeral Home, Poughkeepsie.