Sydney E. "Syd" Hammill

1928 - 2019

Sydney E. "Syd" Hammill
September 15, 1928 – January 18, 2019
Resident of Danville, California
Sydney (Syd) Edward Hammill was born and raised in Piedmont, CA. He was the son of Harold and Maybelle Hammill, brother to Patricia, Kenneth, and Robert (Bob), all deceased, and three stepbrothers; Mahlon, Robert (Bob), and David Connett. He graduated from Piedmont High School and UC Berkeley with a degree in Business Administration. He then served in the Army in the Korean war. When he was on a troop ship bound for Korea, the ship stopped in Japan and he was one of a few chosen to serve in the Army's Comptroller office in Japan because he had a college education. In Japan, he found his vocational calling – accounting. After the war, he returned to UC Berkeley to obtain his MBA in accounting and then went to work for an accounting firm, Haskins and Sells and obtained is CPA. While living in San Francisco in a guest house, he met his future bride, Helen Jeanie Henter. In 1961, they had their first of two children, Laura, and he opened his own CPA firm - quite a year. The family moved to Danville, CA in 1968 as his CPA practice grew in the East Bay. He enjoyed the people he met at work so much that he continued to work until age 85, meanwhile moving his office from Oakland to Walnut Creek in the early 90's when his son Glenn joined the practice. He volunteered in many capacities, but his passion outside his work and family was walking, hiking, engaging people in friendly conversation, and doing nice deeds. He liked to regale listeners with many stories but especially about an adventurous backpack from Sonora Pass to Tahoe with his son Glenn aka "The Manzanita Hike". He hiked much of the Pacific Crest Trail but an even greater accomplishment was making his children and grandchildren "Syd Scouts" - hiking and backpacking enthusiasts. His loving wife of 51 years, Jeanie, predeceased Syd in 2008. He is survived by his step-brother, Robert; his children, Laura (Charlie) and Glenn (Lisa); his five grandchildren, Andrea, Jennie, Ryan (Kathleen), John, Christy; and his one great grandchild, Helen. A memorial service will be held at 10am on Saturday, February 16th at Community Presbyterian Church (CPC), 222 W El Pintado, Danville, CA. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Deacons Fund at CPC where he served as a deacon, or to the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council in San Francisco.


View the online memorial for Sydney E. "Syd" Hammill