Eulogy for Hamo Hammond by Rev. Evans



13 Sep Eulogy for Hamo Hammond by Rev. Evans



Hamo was born November 9^th,1937, the second son of Joan and Percy Hammond. His brother Tim was already nearly 5 years old. He grew up in Johannesburg, South Africa and described his childhood as being “well held”, but that he was a sensitive child. When he was about 6 years old he had a long hospitalization of 2 years – first a bad case of measles, an ear operation and finally rheumatic fever. He was so ill that everyone including the doctors believed he would die. His mother prayed intensely for his life and felt that because he survived her prayers were answered and “his life was a gift”. Indeed, Hamo was a gift to so many.

Hamo attended a day boarding school for primary, and for high school became a termly boarder, only going home to their beautiful stone house on the farm on the holidays. He enjoyed maths and sciences and decided to become a chemical engineer, hoping to attend Cambridge University in England. He spent a year in London preparing for the entrance exams, but wasn’t accepted.

Instead, he flew back to South Africa and began studying at the University of Cape Town. Here he took full advantage of the magnificent winds of the South African peninsula and was an enthusiastic sailor. One year he helped recruit new first year students to the sailing club, and one of these students was our dear Brenda. After Hamo was continually eying her in the rear view mirror on the way to sailing and after Brenda saw him in a glowing light at a stock car race, they fell in love and were soon married. Hamo and Brenda began their long and happy married life of 55 years in London, where their first child Belinda was born. They returned to Johannesburg to have Kate and finally Cape Town where William was born. When looking for a school for Belinda, they stumbled across Michael Oak Waldorf School, and felt this was the place for their daughter. When Hamo’s aunts heard this, they were pleased because it turned out they were anthroposophists! As the children went through the school, Hamo and Brenda discovered Rudolf Steiner’s work and this changed the direction of Hamo’s life. Anthroposophy became his guiding star. When he was laid off from Shell, where he had been employed as an engineer, he decided to fulfill a long held wish to become a biodynamic farmer. The family moved to a beautiful historic farm in the winelands near Wellington, South Africa. On this farm Brenda and Hamo’s fourth child, Miles was born. Hamo loved being on the farm, getting up early and caring for the land and spending time in nature.

When the political situation in the mid-seventies coincided with not being able to make a living off the land, Hamo and Brenda decided to move the family to England again. This was not an easy time for Hamo, he applied for many jobs but eventually he joined Weleda (UK) just as the company moved to the midlands. Here at Weleda he had found a place to work based on anthroposophy but also incorporating his love of plants and fascination with chemical engineering. For years afterwards he would enthusiastically share his deep knowledge of the remedies and their preparations.

After 5 years in England the family returned to South Africa. Through Weleda, he had met Chris Schaefer and the anthroposophical work in organizations, where consultants facilitated the human and spiritual development of individuals and organizations. One of the biggest clients Hamo worked for was Volkswagen in South Africa. At this time this factory was the focus of tragedy and violence, many labour protests and police clashes resulting from apartheid. So it was not an easy environment to work in. However, Hamo managed to bring light into the situation and through his sensitivity to human relationships and his humour, he was successful in helping the organization develop.

Another large project was his work in a small rural settlement called Montague. Here the emphasis was on community development, bettering the lives of the poor and developing opportunities for change and growth. Eventually this work lead to him founding the Community Development Resource Association in Cape Town. This Community Development Resource Association not only inspired others like Archbishop Tutu to work with him, but Hamo’s ability to bring out the best in people, his capacity to facilitate, and his innovative vision all contributed to the real success of this work. Indeed, Hamo felt that this was the most significant deed he had done in this life, founding an anthroposophical association to give back and support communities in need.

In 1992, Hamo, Brenda and Miles moved to Toronto. Hamo was contracted to work again for Volkswagen in Canada, where he was a consultant for a number of years. He continued working freelance as an organizational consultant and became a well loved member of the anthroposophical community in Richmond Hill, attending study groups, board meetings and The Christian Community.

Also, during these years he suffered an unknown virus, and again like in his childhood, was incapacitated and had to learn to walk for the third time in his life. He learned to walk as a child, then a second time after his two year hospital stay, and again after this virus. Perhaps this is what gave Hamo such uprightness, such integrity of soul.

Hamo was a man that inspired trust. Many of us sought advice from Hamo for he was a person who one felt was qualified to advise. He was also reserved, in the best way, even one could say private. Hamo was one of the most dignified people I have ever met. And this dignity of his awakened dignity in those around him.

His upright being, his warmth, his sensitive understanding and his humour were evident to all who met him. Even though Hamo struggled with self-criticism and never really feeling fully successful, he touched so many lives, helped and inspired so many individuals. In this way he fulfilled his humanity, for in the words of Rudolf Steiner “the goal of development is to move from being a taker to being a giver”.

And yet, there is an even deeper secret of human development that Hamo found at the very end. Just before he crossed, I asked Hamo what the greatest blessing in his life had been. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I could say Brenda, I could say art, but the most blessed I have felt has been in the past few days, being able to really receive and feel so loved by my children, by Brenda by God. Giving and receiving love is the most important thing in human life”, he said.

May Hamo be a shining beacon for us of what being human really means, to become able to give and receive love.

Thank you, dear Hamo.