March 27, 1929 - December 12, 2018

Milton Benjamin Hammond, Jr., died peacefully on December 12, 2018, at his home in Downey, California following a long illness. He was 89 years old. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty Ann and his daughter, Dianne. He is survived by his children Joanne, David, Mark and Paul, and two grandchildren.

“Milt,” as he was fondly known to all of his friends and associates, was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and moved to the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metropolitan area in his early teens. Milt met his wife, Betty, while in the Pittsburgh area, and they were married in 1951, following his graduation from Case Western Reserve University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

The couple moved to Seattle, Washington, where they started a family and where Milt’s career involved working for the Boeing Company on the design of the B-52 bomber. Upon completion of his Master of Science degree from the University of Washington, the Hammonds relocated to Southern California, where Milt continued his aerospace career at North American Aviation, subsequently Rockwell International, for 15 years.

At Rockwell, he worked on various missile programs while attending graduate school at the University of Southern California where he earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering. Subsequently, Milt worked on the U.S. Space Program, with the Apollo Program Saturn V rocket that put men on the moon. He also worked on preliminary rocket designs for the Space Shuttle Program.

In the mid-1970s, Milt left the aerospace industry and started his second career as a management consultant which he continued well into his 80s. He specialized in company team-building, leadership, and talent selection through techniques pioneered by the Success Motivation Institute.

In his boyhood years in Pennsylvania, Milt began a lifelong association with the Boy Scouts of America and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. As an adult, he volunteered for 35 years with Cub Pack 805C and Troop 441 in Downey. He also led a backpacking Explorer Post on monthly hikes. He was Committee Chairman for the cub pack for about 10 years, and also served as president of the Old River Men’s Club, the sponsoring institution for the cub pack and the troop. In 1981, he was honored with a Silver Beaver award by the Boy Scouts for meritorious volunteer service.

He was an active associate and Bible teacher with The Word of Truth Ministry in Los Angeles for over 50 years. As a “senior scholar,” he recorded numerous Sunday morning Bible study lessons and authored More Seed & Bread Bible study leaflets.

Milt told lots of silly jokes and stories to anyone who was willing to listen. A gentleman and all-around “nice guy” to those who knew him, Milt will be missed by many.

Memorial services are planned for January 26, 2019 at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier, California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be directed to the Boy Scouts of America at www.oldriveryouthfoundation.com or The Word of Truth Ministry at www.seedandbread.org/donations-to-the-ministry/.