Leigh Hugh Hammond

1929 - 2024

Leigh Hugh Hammond

July 4, 1929 - July 26, 2024

Brooklyn, New York - Leigh Hugh Hammond, a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, passed away in Brooklyn, NY on Friday, July 26. Born on a farm in West Union, SC, Leigh grew up plowing fields, milking cows and raising chickens, while attending a two-room school house. He entered Clemson University shortly after turning 17, earning a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Economics, earning a commission in the US Army, and serving in the Korean War after his graduation in 1950. He earned his master's degree in the same discipline at the University of Tennessee, taking an associate professorship at Texas A&M University upon completion. There, he reluctantly accepted an offer of a blind date with a colleague's cousin and thus met his life-long partner, Cynthia Secrest. Soon after marrying Cynthia in Fort Worth, TX, he began working on his doctorate at NC State University in 1957.

After finishing his PhD, Leigh spent two and a half years working for the National Canners Association in Washington, DC, before returning to Raleigh for good in 1964 as an associate professor in the Economics Department at NC State. Over the next three decades, Leigh held many positions at the university, including assistant vice chancellor for extension and public service, director of the Center for Urban Affairs, and coordinator of the Sea Grant Advisory Services for four campuses in the UNC System. He also worked in the public sector, serving in state government as a policy analyst, advisor and deputy director of administration to Governor Robert Scott, and as a commissioner on the NC Utilities Commission, appointed by Governor Jim Hunt. After serving in the NC Community College System President's office, he was awarded The Order of the Long Leaf Pine for exemplary service to North Carolina by Governor James Martin in 1990 before retiring in 1991. Leigh "retired" by taking the Executive Director position at the NC Retired Governmental Employees Association and advisor to the state treasurer for 13 years before retiring for good in 2004.

Leigh was known to friends and family alike as generous with his time and talents, even-keeled and open-minded in his opinions, and always good for a bear hug. He was a passionate supporter of all things Clemson, and loved to fish, spending many hours relaxing with his fishing buddies gathering material for tall tales. He was a long-time member of the Rotary Cub of Raleigh. Leigh was renowned for his woodworking skills, creating furniture, toys and beautiful bowls. So generous was he to his children and grandchildren, he earned the nickname "Pockets." But most of all, Leigh was known to children (and to the child in all of us) for ice cream, whether it was the churnsful of homemade ice cream he provided every summer or the inevitable visit to or shipment from Clemson University's ice cream enterprise.

Leigh is survived by his wife of 67 years, Cynthia S. Hammond, a daughter, Cynthia Leigh (Joseph Samulski), three sons, Mark (Noreen Tully), Houston (Julie Coates) and Eric (Elisa Wright), ten grandchildren and six great grandchildren, as well as many beloved nieces and nephews, their children and grandchildren. Services will be held on August 17, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the NC Agricultural Foundation, https://go.ncsu.edu/leigh-hammond-endowment.