Obituary of Lewis Hammond

Passed away May 22, 2013, at Valle Verde Health Center in Santa Barbara after 94 wonderful years. Lew was born in Bellingham, WA, in 1918. After graduating from high school he attended some college in Washington before coming to Santa Barbara to attend Santa Barbara State College. There he met Elizabeth "Bettie" Whiting. In January 1941 he entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in New Guinea during WWII with the 8th Photo Squadron of the 5th Air Force. He and Bettie married in 1944 upon his return; they had four children. He owned and managed Inglewood Nursery and Inglewood Landscapes in Los Angeles until 1961 when he sold the business so their family could go to Sandoa, Congo, Africa. They returned to Santa Barbara in 1965 where he established Santa Barbara Landscapes. In 1972 Lew and Bettie sold their business and returned to Africa as missionaries to work 8 1/2 years in the Sudan and Liberia. They worked for the United Methodist Church in New York City for one year before eventually retiring to a small ranch in Nipomo, CA. Bettie passed away in 1992 from cancer. Lew then met and married Joyce Whiteing in 1993; they lived in Shell Beach until her death in January 2013. He is survived by his four children Louise Sciutto (husband Gary) of Carpinteria, Ruth Simpson (husband Frank) of Wasilla, AK, Dan Hammond (wife Crystal) of Springfield, OH, and Jim Hammond (wife Alison) of Coeur d'Alene, ID and two step children, Luerae Roberts (husband Allan) of Buena Park, and David Whiteing (wife Jeanne) of Boulder, CO. He also had 8 grandchildren, 3 step grandchildren, and 5 great grand children. Lew was preceded in death by his two wives and two sisters. A Celebration of Life will be held on June 6, 2013, at 4:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara. In lieu of flowers gifts may be given to the Hammond Memorial Scholarship Fund for Theology Students administered by the First United Methodist Church of Arroyo Grande, 275 N. Halcyon, Arroyo Grande, CA 93420.