Tyrrell J. "Terry" Hammond

Tyrrell John Hammond (Terry) of New Castle, Delaware, passed away on September 26, 2025, at age 85. Terry is survived by his wife of 58 years, Pat (nee Petka) Hammond; his children, Lissa Miller (Gary Sexton), Lorri Avila (Leo), and TJ (Ann) Hammond.; his 7 grandchildren, Sean (Lisa), Grace, Liliana, Carly, Leonardo, TJ, and Alex. He is also survived by his great-granddaughter, Charlotte. He was predeceased by his granddaughter, Kelsie Miller. 

Born in the tiny town of Alden, NY, on April 28th, 1940, to Orley and Mildred Hammond, Terry grew up with his big brother, Jim, riding horses, working on farms, and shoveling a lot of snow during the winter.

After high school, he served proudly in the US Navy aboard the USS Wasp as an Aviation Mechanical Engineer. After the Navy, he found work at Hercules and eventually ended up in Delaware City working for Formosa Plastics. He worked there for 45 years, doing shift work, and missed many holidays with his family. He never would call out sick or complain and had a powerful work ethic. 

Early on in his marriage, Terry worked for Pat’s father, Gus, at his gas station on Maryland Avenue. He could fix almost anything and was always ready to help his kids with their cars or a home project. He was a plumber, an electrician, a woodworker, and a jack of all trades.

Terry was a homebody and took great pride in his green lawn. He mowed almost daily up until age 84. He would sit with a spade on warm summer days, digging up weeds one by one. It always made his family laugh at his patience. Terry also enjoyed sitting on his back porch watching the Phillies, even when it was 100 degrees outside. The snow from his youth always made him appreciate the sunshine. Terry enjoyed a Miller High Life and enjoyed telling stories of growing up in upstate New York or his days in the Navy. His family cherished those stories because Terry was a man of few words.

Terry lived a happy life, and we are all lucky to have had him for as long as we did. In the words of his loving wife, “He was a good guy!”

Family and friends are invited to visit on Monday, October 6th, 2025 beginning at 10AM at St. Matthew Catholic Church. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Terry at 11AM. Committal prayers will be held in the chapel of the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 2PM.

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