E. Joseph Hammond, Esq.

Earnest Joseph (E. Joseph) Hammond, 78, a resident for many years in The Woodlands, Texas, passed away on September 26, 2023, in Bastrop, Texas.

Joseph was born in Centerville, Iowa, to Rozella and Randall on March 13, 1945. He grew up on a family farm close to Seymour, Iowa. One of the last pioneers of the middle frontier, he attended a one-room country schoolhouse for his primary schooling and had fond memories of reading books at home by the glow of a kerosene lamp. He graduated as Valedictorian of Seymour High School and attended Iowa State University (ISU) on a National Merit Scholarship. He graduated from ISU in 1968 with highest honors.

Upon graduating from Iowa State University, he was drafted into the Army during the Vietnam War. He served his country honorably as part of the 82nd Airborne, and his service included a tour of duty in Vietnam. Upon his discharge from the Army, he was awarded a Rotary International Scholarship that was sponsored by the Wayne County, Iowa, Rotary Club to study for a year at the University of Durham in England and research in Ireland.

He then attended Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he met the love of his life, Shirley Kay Smith. They were married on April 28, 1973, in Memorial Church at Harvard University. He graduated from law school in June of 1974. He was a lifetime member of the Massachusetts Bar.

After law school he practiced as an international maritime lawyer working in Tokyo, Japan, and London, England. He and Shirley had their two children in England and then returned to Japan where the family lived for 5 years. Many wonderful family memories were made during this period.

Upon returning to the United States, the family settled in The Woodlands, Texas, where Joseph worked as a bank-fraud lawyer for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. He was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church participating in the men’s group and was a lifetime cardholder of the American Legion Post 305, where he served as a club officer. One of his most cherished awards was winning the “Best Chili” plaque from the Post’s Chili Cook-Off, which he participated in annually.

In later years, Joseph moved to the Austin-area to be closer to his family due to health complications from exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam. He was known to be a great storyteller and would often share stories about his childhood. His short story, “Blizzard”, chronicling one winter growing up on the farm was selected for publication. He enjoyed reading about history, holidays with the family, sushi suppers, the Superbowl, being outside, and sharing in the joy of his grandchildren growing. He deeply loved and was immensely proud of his family, which he considered his greatest accomplishment.

He is survived by his wife Shirley, son Ethan, daughter Mary Ellen, son-in-law Andrew Mondi, and grandchildren William and Anna Rose. They will remember him for his brilliant mind, insightful sense of humor, and loving bear hugs as a husband, father, and grandfather. He is preceded in death by his father Randall and mother Rozella.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to 4-H, https://4-h.org, a club that Joseph participated in while growing up on his family farm in Iowa.

For more information please contact family.