Henry Otto Pommer Jr.

Henry O. Pommer, Jr. (Hank), age 85, passed away at his home in Miramar Beach, Florida, on December 26, 2022, surrounded by his loving family.
Hank was born in Memphis, Tennessee, to Henry and Floy Pommer. His dad was Vice President of John A. Denies & Sons, and Hank's first job at age eleven was working in that brickyard. After attending Bartlett High School and Memphis State University, Hank worked for various companies that dealt with construction, industrial equipment, and mechanical engineering. He was the youngest engineer to be hired at Master Builders and had his own construction company, HOP Construction. As a Sales Engineer with Mitchell & Sons in Memphis, Hank designed and built mechanical equipment for cargo handling at Federal Express; this being his last job. Retiring in 2002, Hank eventually moved to Miramar Beach in 2012; being a favorite family vacation destination, and where he and his wife had married in 1986.
Hank was multi-talented and could fix anything; therefore, often referred to as "Mr. FixIt" by his friends and family. Having a keen curiosity, he was constantly learning, and had a can-do attitude - from taking apart a motor to recently helping his daughter design and build a tiny house. During his lifetime, Hank accrued an extraordinary set of skills and loved teaching others. He was resilient, and, despite numerous health issues, had a never-give-up attitude. Hank was excellent at mechanical engineering, carpentry, architecture, boat restoration, and furniture building.
Over his lifetime, Hank was an amateur pilot and an avid golfer, an enthusiastic angler, and a tinkerer. He built our family home in Memphis in six months while working full time – what a splendid work ethic.
Hank was so supportive of his family, friends, and neighbors. He was very civic-minded and served as President of the Bartlett Baseball Booster Club, where he designed and helped build the dugout and locker room they still use today. Furthermore, Hank was President of the Southwest Tennessee Bass Club.
After retiring, Hank loved to cook, experimenting often with new recipes. He brought his Memphis BBQ skills to Miramar Beach.
Hank leaves behind his loving wife, Laurie; his son, Barry Pommer (wife Sharon) of Crossville, Tennessee; his daughter, Becky Pommer Jones (husband Chuck) of Nashville, Tennessee; his daughter, Cindy Pommer of Memphis, Tennessee; his son, Matt Gallagher of Denver, Colorado; and his daughter, Abbey Pommer of DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Hank has seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Preceding him in death were his daughter, Melanie Pommer of Houston, Texas, and his sister, Helen Wren of Carrabelle, Florida.
Hank requested no memorial service, but Hank's ashes will be spread in the Gulf of Mexico, where he and Laurie were married, thirty-six years earlier. Thank you to all the caring and supportive doctors and staff of Sacred Heart Hospital in Miramar Beach and Pensacola, Florida. We especially want to thank Dr. Mose Hayes, Dr. Charles Mays, Dr. Geraldo Gomez, and Dr. Kapil Puri. In addition, we would like to thank Emerald Coast Hospice for their loving care and support of our family over the past few months.
Hank had a special place in his heart for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, and donations can be made there, if so desired.