Dr. Jan Hamer

HAMER Dr. Jan Hamer was an Organic Chemistry Professor who received his Ph.D. from the University of Leiden in the Netherlands and taught at Tulane University from 1960 until 1992. He was a resident of New Orleans as well as a Dutch citizen. He died on Friday May 25th, 2008 at Hospice In-Patient of Baton Rouge at 10:10 a.m. at the age of 81. He was born in Gombong, Indonesia and traveled to The Netherlands with his family in 1932. He lived in the Hague until going back to Indonesia in 1952 to serve as a Second Lieutenant and Commander of a Foot Battalion for the Royal Netherlands Military until 1955. Jan Hamer married Millicent May of New Orleans in The Netherlands on March 20, 1956 and they shared a deep love for 52 years until the end. A Celebration to Honor and Remember the life of Dr. Jan Hamer will be held at the Audubon Park Golf Clubhouse in New Orleans located at 6500 Magazine Street on Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. Survived by his wife Millicent May Hamer of New Orleans and two daughters, Elizabeth May Hamer Pope and husband Joseph Keith Pope of Baton Rouge, Hilary Halsey Hamer Tafran and husband Mohammad Hassan Musaid Tafran of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and also one grandson Rayan Mohammad Hassan Tafran also of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and one sister Meinie in the Netherlands as well many nieces, nephews, sister-in-laws, brother-in-laws in Florida and the Netherlands. Preceded in death by parents, Gerard Pieter Hamer and Wijke Hamer-deBoer, four sisters, Tina, Annie, Anto and Gerrie and two brothers, Coert and Wim. He wrote three chemistry books and was listed in Who's Who in the South and Southwest and was a member of the Round Table Club and the Holland Club both of New Orleans as well as many other professional organizations. Dr. Hamer had a deep love of family, classical music, cooking, horticulture, gardening, history, current world events, art and languages. He also had a wonderful sense of humor and adventure. He was a loving husband, father and friend to those who knew him well. He will be deeply missed by his family and friends. Dr. and Mrs. Hamer's photograph and story was featured in the recent book Holding Out and Hanging On Surviving Hurricane Katrina by Thomas Neff. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Hospice of Baton Rouge, OCD Foundation, Roatan's Children Fund or Friends of New Orleans.