Mary Lou Simpson Hammer

Mary Lou Simpson Hammer
July 13, 1934 ~ July 2, 2022

Mary Lou, surrounded by family, peacefully passed away in her St. George home on Saturday, July 2, 2022, just shy of her 88^th birthday. Mary Lou was born in Syracuse Utah, the ninth of ten children to John George Simpson and Edith Elizabeth Hardy. Growing up on a farm (though not seeing herself as a “farm girl”) instilled her with tremendous work ethic that she exhibited to her last days. She was a graduate of Davis High School and diligently organized reunions with several classmates until her passing. She also attended Weber College.

She studied music and enjoyed playing the piano for many years (until her hands would no longer cover an octave). She played tennis and golf but was an avid runner and swimmer. For many years she ran 10+ miles a day, cherishing the endorphins that came afterword. She swam regularly into her late 80s.

She had many vocations. She was a stenographer, a teacher of shorthand writing, and proud of her years as a stewardess. She worked for Continental Bakery, Hill Field Air Force Base and was among the first to be employed by Thiokol in Utah.

Mary Lou married Clyde R. Hammer in the Salt Lake Temple on March 21, 1958. They lived in San Diego, CA for a few years before returning to Ogden, where they built a home on the East bench and raised two children, Paul and Julie. Mary Lou loved her children and loved being a full-time mom. Mary Lou and Clyde moved to Saint George near Sunbrook golf course when the winters became too long, and they could no longer ski. Mary Lou loved the view of the nearby pond with swans and many other wildlife.

While raising her children, Mary Lou began what would become her next career as a professional volunteer. She became president of the PTA where her children went to school. She gave time to the Republican Party helping with re-election efforts. She relished the arts, especially performing arts. She was a two-term president of the Ogden Ballet Guild and continued serving after it joined with the Ogden Symphony Guild. She served on the Utah Symphony Board, the McKay-Dee Women’s Council, the Ogden Art Council, and many other organizations.

She was preceded in death by her parents, all of her siblings, and her daughter, Julie. She leaves her sweetheart Clyde, her son Paul (Lisa), 5 grandsons – Austin (Tiffany), Alan (Alexa), Bryce, Parker, and Matthew – and many nieces and nephews.

Her family is incredibly grateful for the selfless and kind care she received from Susan Lower (niece).

Friends may visit with family for a Celebration of Life on Sunday, July 31, 2022 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lindquist's Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Blvd. Interment, Lindquist’s Memorial Gardens of the Wasatch, 1718 Combe Rd. in South Ogden.