Dennis Ray Hamm

Dennis Ray Hamm POUNDING MILL, Va. Dennis Ray Hamm, age 78, passed away Thursday, Dec. 17, 2009, in Cedar Bluff, Va., following a long battle with cancer. Dennis was born Sept. 12, 1931, in Seaboard, Va. He was the son of the late Henry H. and Hattie May Carty Hamm. Dennis was a United States Army Veteran of the Korean War having served in Germany. He also served in the Army reserve and the National Guard of Richlands, Va. He was awarded the Occupational Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal. Dennis and his late brother, Carlos Hamm, owned and operated H & H Battery Sales and Service for 37 years in Richlands, Va. The business was sold and Dennis retired. Dennis loved the outdoors, vacationing at their lake home, boating, fishing and hunting. He was an Atlanta Braves fan. Following retirement, he and his beloved late wife enjoyed traveling the United States and Canada on bus tours. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years on Nov. 30, 2008, Gertrude Maxwell "Maxie'" Hamm; his paternal grandparents, James W. and Mary Edwards Hamm; his maternal grandparents, George W. and Mary Alice Hamilton Carty; brothers, Carlos Hamm, James. W. and George W. Hamm (twins), John H. Hamm, Robert E. Hamm, Ben H. Hamm, Bobby Ray and Billy Jay Hamm (twins); sister, Mary Alice Hamm; two nephews; one great-nephew; and one great-great nephew; sister-in-law, Wilma Bourne Hamm and brother-in-law, Charles Tickles Jr. Dennis is survived by a brother, Jack W. Hamm and wife, Mona of Cedar Bluff, Va.; sisters, Katrina Hamm Tickles of Lenexa, Kan.; and Betty Hamm Hunter and husband, Marion of Abingdon, Va.; nephews, Stanley Hamm and wife, Carolyn of Wardell, Va., John S. Hamm and wife, Susan of Rocky Mount, N.C., Richard D. Hamm of Cedar Bluff, Va., Rex Tickles and wife, Joanne of Lenexa, KS, Charles H. Tickles and wife, Debra of Lenexa, Kan.; nieces, Dortha Tickles Hill of Parkville, Mo., Loretta Tickles Cunningham and husband, Leon of Basehor, Kan., Frances Tickles Rudder and husband, Wayne of Canada, Ky., Yvonne Tickles of Shawnee, Kan., Susan Hamm Mackey and husband, Thomas of Tazewell, Va., Cynthia Hamm Hayden of Nashville, Tenn., Renee Hamm Thayer and husband, Brad of Cedar Bluff, Va., Debra Hamm Roberts and husband, John of Bath, Md., Carol A. Hamm of Niceville, Fla.; sisters-in-law, Joan Hamm of Cedar Bluff, Va., Ruth Hamm Gibelyou of Niceville, Fla., Brenda Altizer and husband, Buddy and Sue White and husband, Doug; several great-nephews and great-nieces; special friends, Clarence and Bea Boyd; several cousins and a host of friends. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 21, 2009, at Singleton Funeral Service Chapel at Cedar Bluff, Va., with Rev. Bill Fletcher officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenhills Memory Gardens at Claypool Hill, Va. Pallbearers will be nephews and friends: Stanley Hamm, Richard Hamm, John S. Hamm, Rex Tickles, Charles Tickles, Brad Thayer, Leon Cunningham, Thomas Mackey, David White, Tim White and Kenny Hagy. Honorary pallbearers will be Clarence Boyd Jr. and Curt Stevenson. Military graveside rites will be conducted by Casey-Shortt VFW Post 9640. The family will receive friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday at Singleton Funeral Service at Cedar Bluff, Va. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to: Cancer Outreach Foundation, 206 Abingdon Place, Abingdon, VA 24211; Community Heights Baptist Church, Wardell, VA; Hill Creek Baptist Church at Hill Creek, Richlands, VA; or donor's choice in memory of Dennis Ray Hamm. The family offers special thanks to friends, doctors, caregivers, and the staff and nurses at Mayfair Assisted Living House, Preferred Home Health, Claypool Hill Therapy and Fitness Center and Total Home Care and Hospice for their compassionate care. Online condolences may be sent to the family by going to www.SingletonFuneralService.com Singleton Funeral Service is serving the Hamm family.