Derwin Hammond

Mar 30, 2025

Derwin Reed Hammond, 89, "slipped the surly bonds of earth" on Mar. 30, 2025.

Derwin, born and raised in Durango, CO, discovered his first love at age five when a small plane landed on the frozen lake where he was helping his father cut ice blocks. One look inside the cockpit with its dials and knobs, convinced the freckle-faced little boy that he did not want to cut ice blocks for a living - he wanted to fly!

And fly he did, for more than 70 years as a private pilot, instructor, check-pilot, and dedicated member of the Civil Air Patrol. With decades of service in the Alaska Wing of the Civil Air Patrol, Derwin was always ready to drop whatever he was doing, grab his flight gear, and take to the sky in search of missing aircraft. A career with the Federal Aviation Administration kept Derwin surrounded by all things flying related, and he loved his job.

Derwin also loved his family and was blessed with a family that loved him: wife, Ann (née Becay) Hammond; son, Kevin Hammond; daughter, Charlotte Hammond Rydberg, six grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Derwin was old school. It was nearly impossible for him to say "I love you" but he showed it in so many ways from a safety kit and a $20 bill tucked into the console of a child's car, to a freshly shoveled driveway on a cold Minnesota morning. Derwin was always there when you needed him. He will be missed, but never forgotten. A private service was held Apr. 2, 2025. To send an online condolence to the family please visit maxonfamilycremation.com.