Ruby Hammel

1928 - 2025

Our loving mother passed away gracefully at her home of 66 years in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. She is flying free now, sending love and light to all whose lives she touched.

Born in Malad, Idaho, youngest of six, to Iver Edwin Bradley (Hyrum, UT), and Bobbie Routh Pickett (Garland, TX). Ruby's mother was Pocatello Valley School Marm when she met Iver, who'd recently acquired a dry farm through the Homestead Act of 1862. The siblings spent idyllic hours playing down in the holler and helping on the farm. Their egg-hauling flatbed was also the RV that took the clan to Yellowstone and family gatherings.

Ruby's father died when she was 11. Older siblings got jobs and sent money home. The family later moved to Salt Lake's avenues and Ruby attended Bryant Junior High. At 15, when her mother got a job as a Nevada tutor, Ruby went to stay with her sister in Albion, ID and graduated there at 17, thanks to "excellent teachers."

Beginning college at the U of U in 1945, she said she might have flirted a bit with Lee at the bookstore, and he got up the nerve to ask if she wanted to play some tennis."Maybe... are you any good?" She'd discover later that he was #2 on the Ute team.

Ruby and Lee married in 1946, Lee working as a teacher in little towns like Blanding, Loa and Pioche, NV. In '54 it was back to SLC to raise a family of three.

Ruby was the youngest mom on the block and would play night games with the children and would take them hiking into the Parley's Canyon gulley. Ahead of her time, she planned birthday parties with activities like a track meet or a hike.

By 1963, she was a teacher at Butler Elementary and finished her career after 25 years at Butler Middle. Ruby served as Jordan Education Assn. President for 2 years, with 5 more in leadership.

Ruby was a life-long Christian and one of the earliest members of Holladay United Church of Christ in 1955. She was assistant choir director for 50 years and sang beautiful soprano solos. With close choir friends, the calypso group "The Holladayos" was formed. Her children loved her sing-alongs at vacation Bible School.

Ruby also cared deeply about social justice. She was an active citizen, twice a delegate at Democratic National Conventions. Active in the JEA, UEA, and the AARP, and was president of the League of Women Voters, a non partisan group. She was proud of making a difference and urged others to do the same.

As a tennis player she had quite the "volley," loved playing competitive doubles, and taught others through her early 80's. Lee and Ruby organized and ran the Tribune No-Champs for 25 years, and she was a strong partner when Lee managed the Salt Lake Tennis Club from 1957-1964. Ruby, Lee and their 3 children were Utah Tennis Family of the Year in 1964, Intermountain Family of the Year in 2000, and National Tennis Family of the Year in 2001. Ruby was inducted into the Utah Tennis Hall of Fame for contributions to tennis in 2004.

And Bridge. The game was part of her life until the end, in 5 groups that played once a month. She told fortunes at church fundraisers and taught her children to do card tricks. Ruby was clever, curious, caring and was given her father's dry wit.

She is loved, remembered and admired by her 3 children, Laury Hammel (Robin Young), Carolee Hammel (Tom Barber) and Brad Hammel, her 10 grandchildren (Sara, Jed, Eliza, Jason, Sam, Rosanna, Vanessa, Brent, Catharine, and Bobbie) and her 13 great grandchildren (Julian, Daniel, Anthony, Tati, Zarina, Tayzia, James, Charlie, Josie, Miles, Matty, Teddy, Lucas).

In Lieu of flowers please consider donating to the League of Women Voters, lwvutah.org/donations, or Holladay United Church of Christ, holladayucc.org in Ruby Hammel's name. There will be a celebration of Life in the late winter or early spring of 2026 at HUCC and all are invited.