1936 – 2015

NORTH CONWAY, N.H. — Edward Charles Hammond, 79, of 4 Stepping Stone Road in Fryeburg, died Monday, Aug. 3, at North Conway Memorial Hospital with his family by his side.

He was born at home in Hiram on March 15, 1936, to Charles Edward and Cecile (Day) Hammond, the youngest of three children. His siblings included two sisters, Marguerite (Hammond) Smith of North Fryeburg, and Sally Hammond of Sebago and Winter Haven, Fla. He was educated in local schools and graduated from Fryeburg Academy in the Class of 1955.

Hammond attended Gorham State Teachers College and was a proud member of Kappa Delta Phi fraternity. He worked as a summer camp counselor at a boys’ camp in Sullivan.

After graduating college, he served three years in the U.S. Army from 1959 to 1962. On June 23, 1962, he married the love of his life, June Walker, and they honeymooned by tenting across the United States. They moved to East Lyme, Conn., and both taught at Lillie B. Haynes Elementary School. After retiring, they moved back to Maine to raise their three children, Valerie (Hammond) Tripp, Gregory Hammond and Todd Hammond.

Ed and June had many adventures, traveling and camping with their family. They enjoyed special times at the Sebago Lake cottage. Ed also enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and riding ATVs, and he was very active for many years working on trails for the snowmobile club. He was a past master of Pythagorean Lodge in Fryeburg and a member of the Kora Shrine. Ed’s sense of humor and storytelling will be sadly missed.

A quote he connected with was, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, body thoroughly used up, and saying, ‘Woo, hoo, what a ride!’”

He is survived by his wife, June (Walker) Hammond of Fryeburg; his three children, Valerie (Hammond) Tripp of Fryeburg, Gregory and Deborah (Durgin) Hammond of Auburn, and Todd and Darcy (Shiers) Hammond of Windham; along with eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.woodfuneralhome.org.