Derwin Hammond

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

Derwin, born and raised in Durango, CO, discovered his first love at age 5 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. Der 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. Der was always there when you needed him. He will be missed, but never forgotten.

A private service for immediate family will be held April 2, 2025.