Donald Hammer

Donald Edward Hammer, 72, of Mountain Home, Arkansas, passed away Wednesday, June 16, 2021, at Hospice of the Ozarks Hospice House.
He was born July 23, 1948, in Reading, Pa., to Donald and Louise Kohler Hammer. He graduated from West Lafayette High School in West Lafayette, Ind., in 1967. He enlisted in the United States Navy, serving as a radarman from 1969-1971. He married Janet Susanne (Susie) Sadler on August 3, 1970. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the College of Architecture and Planning at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., in 1976.
He worked as a truss designer, draftsman, project architect and architectural designer for manufacturing and design companies in Lafayette, Westfield and Indianapolis, Ind., on multi-family residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and recreational projects. At one point, after a layoff, he worked as a night-shift school janitor to support his family.
He enjoyed sailing, canoeing, hiking, backpacking and tent camping with family. In 2001, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. In later years, he designed encouraging devotional cards for others. He was living proof of God’s faithfulness. As he said in one of his testimonies, “Suffering is a part of life. Through the losses I have gained knowing Him more deeply. Embrace the hard times. Embrace the difficult times. We do not need to fear them. You can trust Him to work His purposes through them.”
He is survived by his wife, Susie, of Mountain Home; one son, David (Amanda) Hammer, of Columbia, Ill.; one daughter, Joanne (Justin) Bratton, of Mountain Home; and two grandchildren, Julia and Joseph Bratton. He was preceded in death by his parents.
A memorial service will be 2 p.m. Thursday, July 15, at The River Bible Church in Mountain Home. Burial was private. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the Ozarks online or 811 Burnett Dr., Mountain Home, AR 72653, or The River Bible Church, PO Box 2413, Mountain Home, AR 72654. Arrangements are by Kirby and Family Funeral and Cremation Services, Mountain Home, Arkansas.