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| Riverside, California |
| Tribute for Donald Perry Hamm |
Donald Perry Hamm 1921 to October 22, 2006 |
SAN DIEGO ASTRONOMY ASSOCIATION
NEWS AND NOTES, DECEMBER 2006
Remembering Don Hamm
by Alice Harvey
Long time SDAA member and Central Star Party Coordinator Don Hamm passed
away suddenly on Sunday, October 22, 2006, in Riverside, California. He
apparently suffered a heart attack as he was landing his plane at the Riverside
airport. Don was 75 years old.
Don was a tireless volunteer in our Outreach program. He loved working with
the schools, and was determined to try and enthuse the next generation of
astronomers. One of his constant laments was the fact that not enough kids were
taking an interest in science – he was always looking for new ways to catch their
interest. As the Central area coordinator, Don was responsible for most of the
schools in the San Diego Unified School District, not a small area. There were
many times that he had 2 or 3 star parties in the same week. He was also one of
the original members of the USS Midway group, and was always there for the
Midway programs, either helping out with the Night Sky Network presentation or up
on the flight deck assisting with the scopes. Although he didn’t come out to TDS
often to observe, any time there was a work party or clean-up day, he was there.
We all knew Don loved his plane and loved to fly. He built his plane, an RV-4,
from a kit over a period of almost 8 years. (One of my few regrets in life will be that
I did not take him up on his offer of a trip in that plane!) He was a member of the
Experimental Aircraft Association, and flew his plane regularly between SD and
Riverside, where he kept the plane and where his son lives. He was also very
active with the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and a volunteer in the Museum’s
Restoration Department, working to preserve historical aircraft. As a pilot, he also
participated in meetings of the SD Airports Advisory Committee with regard to the
proposed use of MCAS Miramar as shared military/commercial facility (recently
turned down by voters).
His love of flying was evidently a lifetime one. Few of us knew that Don was a
retired Colonel and pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Don was active in Daedalian Flight
Thirteen, the San Diego chapter of the Order of Dadaelians, a national fraternity of
commissioned U.S. Military pilots, both active and retired.
Don had also recently taken up motorcycle riding. He was a dedicated Porsche
owner and driver, and a member of the national 1969 Porsche 912 club. He was
also long time member of the Don Diego Ski Club and editor of its newsletter
“Ski Chatter.” At a Ski Club outing at Paso Picacho in June 2006, Don brought
together two of his groups by arranging for night sky viewing with telescopes
from the SDAA.
Don will be missed, not just by the SDAA, but by the members of his other groups,
and the many people whose lives were touched when he showed them the sky for
the first time. Whether viewing or flying through it, the sky was always his passion.
Note: Permission to post the above tribute to Don Hamm was requested of the San Diego Astronomy
Association. The original Newsletter article with photos is available at:
http://docs.sdaa.org/Newsletters/2006-12.pdf
http://www.sdaa.org
A Non-Profit Educational Association
P. O. Box 23215,
San Diego, CA 92193-3215
NEWS AND NOTES, DECEMBER 2006
Remembering Don Hamm
by Alice Harvey
Long time SDAA member and Central Star Party Coordinator Don Hamm passed
away suddenly on Sunday, October 22, 2006, in Riverside, California. He
apparently suffered a heart attack as he was landing his plane at the Riverside
airport. Don was 75 years old.
Don was a tireless volunteer in our Outreach program. He loved working with
the schools, and was determined to try and enthuse the next generation of
astronomers. One of his constant laments was the fact that not enough kids were
taking an interest in science – he was always looking for new ways to catch their
interest. As the Central area coordinator, Don was responsible for most of the
schools in the San Diego Unified School District, not a small area. There were
many times that he had 2 or 3 star parties in the same week. He was also one of
the original members of the USS Midway group, and was always there for the
Midway programs, either helping out with the Night Sky Network presentation or up
on the flight deck assisting with the scopes. Although he didn’t come out to TDS
often to observe, any time there was a work party or clean-up day, he was there.
We all knew Don loved his plane and loved to fly. He built his plane, an RV-4,
from a kit over a period of almost 8 years. (One of my few regrets in life will be that
I did not take him up on his offer of a trip in that plane!) He was a member of the
Experimental Aircraft Association, and flew his plane regularly between SD and
Riverside, where he kept the plane and where his son lives. He was also very
active with the San Diego Air & Space Museum, and a volunteer in the Museum’s
Restoration Department, working to preserve historical aircraft. As a pilot, he also
participated in meetings of the SD Airports Advisory Committee with regard to the
proposed use of MCAS Miramar as shared military/commercial facility (recently
turned down by voters).
His love of flying was evidently a lifetime one. Few of us knew that Don was a
retired Colonel and pilot in the U.S. Air Force. Don was active in Daedalian Flight
Thirteen, the San Diego chapter of the Order of Dadaelians, a national fraternity of
commissioned U.S. Military pilots, both active and retired.
Don had also recently taken up motorcycle riding. He was a dedicated Porsche
owner and driver, and a member of the national 1969 Porsche 912 club. He was
also long time member of the Don Diego Ski Club and editor of its newsletter
“Ski Chatter.” At a Ski Club outing at Paso Picacho in June 2006, Don brought
together two of his groups by arranging for night sky viewing with telescopes
from the SDAA.
Don will be missed, not just by the SDAA, but by the members of his other groups,
and the many people whose lives were touched when he showed them the sky for
the first time. Whether viewing or flying through it, the sky was always his passion.
Note: Permission to post the above tribute to Don Hamm was requested of the San Diego Astronomy
Association. The original Newsletter article with photos is available at:
http://docs.sdaa.org/Newsletters/2006-12.pdf
http://www.sdaa.org
A Non-Profit Educational Association
P. O. Box 23215,
San Diego, CA 92193-3215