Gene Albert Hamm

Gene Albert Hamm, age 87, of Smyrna, DE, passed away on Sunday, January 25, 2026.

Born on October 13, 1938 in Oxford, PA to Inez B. Prewitt and Lillard G. Hamm, as the fourth of five children. He greatly valued his stepfather, Jim Simms of Oxford, PA. He was predeceased by his wife, Sarah Jane Broomell (1974), and by his siblings, Glenn (2000), Ray (1999), Paul (2019), and Bev (2012).

Gene is survived by his son Gene A. Hamm II of Allen, TX; his son Gary A. Hamm and husband Ignacio A. Robles of Stevenson Ranch, CA; and by his grandson, Gene A. Hamm III of Allen, TX.

Gene served proudly in the United States Marine Corps from 1955-1959, enlisting early at the age of 17. His duty stations included Parris Island (South Carolina), Camp Lejune and Cherry Point (North Carolina), Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan. He attained the rank of Sergeant, served as Aviation Ordnance Man, and was assigned to the USS Hancock during the 1957 Far East Cruise.

He and Jane married on December 5, 1959. He described the best years of his life as those with his wife and two sons after settling in Bear, DE. An apprenticeship at a Wilmington foundry led to his profession as a tool and die maker, ultimately working at the Chrysler Newark Assembly Plant and the University of Delaware.

During these years he made certain that his two boys had the variety of experiences that his own childhood had not provided him: family camping trips to places like Otter Creek, outings to local amusement parks like Dutch Wonderland and Storybook Land, sightseeing airplane rides out of New Castle Airport, trips to the rodeo at Cowtown (NJ), deep-sea fishing trips, and airshows, often with the Air Force Thunderbirds or the Navy Blue Angels. We know these were some of his favorite things – because he worked to ensure that most would happen every summer of our young lives. He did double shifts at Chrysler for an extended period of time to enable our family trip to Disney World in Florida. He spoke often of these family outings on our walks around the Delaware State Hospital campus.

Gene lived at the Delaware State Hospital in New Castle, DE for 50 years (1974-2024). Although his life there may have appeared cloistered to an outsider's view, he forged a life for himself that fostered the growth of his intellect and his natural curiosity. He explored varied interests ranging across astronomy, music, other cultures, gardening, and photography. Throughout his life he enjoyed playing pool, visiting museums and planetariums, and any opportunity for a good meal and an ice cream dessert. Chocolate, please. He was universally acclaimed as a quiet and disciplined 'stand-up guy' by his peers and staff. Fortunately, we continued our family outings in his later years with visits to natural parks, historical sites like Old New Castle, the Hagley Museum, Riverfront Wilmington, and his hometown.

For the past two years, Gene was cared for at the Delaware Home for the Chronically Ill, in Smyrna, DE. He always considered Oxford, PA his home – especially 705 Broad Street – and his cremains will be interred in the Oxford Cemetery.

He loved animals – beginning with his first dog, Snowball – and donations can be made in his memory to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), P.O. Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929 or online by clicking here.