Joan Mary (Cordingley) Hammond

JOAN MARY HAMMOND

May 15th 1937 - January 9th 2021

In remembering Joan it is difficult to keep her story short. She was born in Montgomery Hospital and raised in Swedeland, Swedesburg and Bridgeport, all in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Upper Merion High School on June 5, 1953 with First Honors in English studies. She attended classes for two years at Beaver College, now renamed “Arcadia”. She then went on to study oil painting at the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She then worked in New York city at the Macy’s department store, and became a part of the culture changes in Greenwich Village. She even met Bob Dylan before he became famous. She returned to Pennsylvania to work at the office of Dr. Eugene T. Greenfield, in Norristown, as a technical assistant, and later became his on site optician. Joan retired when Dr. Greenfield sold the practice and retired himself.

It was during this time that she met her future husband, Edwin Ernest Hammond, “Ern”, who had come to Mont Clare, PA. from Homers Gap, to work at the new GE Space Technology Center in King of Prussia, Pa. They were married on May 18, 1963 at the Holy Ghost Orthodox Church (the old Reeves mansion) in Phoenixville, Pa. The double ring ceremony was performed by the Rev. Stephen Shutack. The honeymoon was in Williamsburg, Va.

Four children within four years was a challenge as well as a joy for her. All lived in Bridgeport on 4th Street and later at Coates Street until July 7, 1971 when the move to a new house at Audubon, Lower Providence, Pa was made.

Joan had some very long and close friendships. One being Lynn whom she met at Beaver College and now lives in Newnan, Ga. Joan was a letter writer and maintained a life long pen pal correspondence with Alan Crompton from Manchester, England. She met him and wife Pauline when they vacationed in the United States.

Joan was a three decade member of the Farmers’ Union Company for the Recovery of Stolen Horses and Detecting the Thieves, Organized A.D. 1834. The FUHC held a yearly parade and horse show at Heyser Field, Valley Forge Road, Fairview Village, Pa. where she worked in the entry tent. Joan rented a barn and pasture at a farm on Merrybrook Road in Worcester. She kept daughter Rebecca’s Welsh Arab, Oakie Doak there, her own Standardbred, “Herbie”, and rescue ponies Honeybee and Merrybrook Jingles.

She fed the birds in her neighborhood, especially “her” ravens, the roaming foxes and even tolerated the pesky squirrels. If she noticed a dog walking around the corner she would talk to it first, then the owner second. Her own dogs, Welsh Corgis, were Hopkins and Barcley but the favorite was Spike, a German Shepherd, that came from the Merrybrook barn.

Along with a concern for animals she liked her stuffed bears, bunnies and ponies. Everything she liked turned into a collection; Longaberger baskets, wooden rolling pins, wooden washboards, old tins, bottles and buttons, and glass hen dishes.

Joan kept her own post office box at Worcester for over 20 years, mostly for her eBay sales endeavor. She supported many church charity sales and ultimately was doing her Christmas and gift shopping all year long. The extra items would go to eBay, and she did receive a Top-rated seller award.

Joan continued her oil painting interest but held no desire to sell her works. The flowers she planted and cultivated were the subject of her color and texture on canvas, this was enough joy for her, so we kept them and hung them on our walls.

She was fond of pro football games and had Eagles season tickets for many years. Our first color TV set was obtained for the Monday night football broadcasts. She enjoyed crossword puzzles, Seinfeld, Bull, Wheel of Fortune, and Jeopardy. She especially liked Frank Sinatra and Johnny Carson, and saw them both perform live at the Valley Forge Music Fair. Her Favorite Led Zeppelin song was “Tangerine” and her favorite Beatles song was “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”.

And, she always tried to give a sales cashier the correct change from her purse.

Her greatest joy was the grandchildren and she loved them all dearly. They called her “Dee”.

“You’re not like all the otters”, Ern 1-11-2021

JOAN MARY HAMMOND

 May 15th, 1937 -January 11th 2021

Joan Mary Hammond passed away on January 9th 2021, after a brief illness. She was the wife of Edwin Ernest Hammond.

Born in Norristown Pennsylvania on May 15th, 1937, Joan was the daughter of Mary Bishop Cordingley and Samuel Thompson Cordingley. She grew up in Swedeland and Bridgeport, and was a 1953 graduate of Upper Merion High School. Family later found that she had "fudged" her age to be a year older so that she could work and make her own money, primarily to buy a record player so she could play jazz, musicals, and rock-n-roll records.

She attended Beaver College for two years, studying English and Art.

Joan worked for Dr. Eugene Greenfield in Norristown for many years, starting before her marriage to Edwin Ernest Hammond in 1963. She helped thousands of people to see clearly by taking pride in her work, all while raising her family. She worked at night and even in the basement of her home to get the job done.

A founding member of Holy Ghost Church in Phoenixville, Joan was there for the building of the current church, and served in many capacities over the years. She especially loved working on the newsletter and at the bazaars.

Joan also found time for many leisure pursuits. She was a member of the Farmer's Union Horse Company in Fairview Village and helped with their annual show for many years. She loved gardening, art, music, and animals, especially horses and dogs. Every dog she met was her friend. Her life and home was filled with many rescues, while her yard was filled with flowers,vegetables, birds, and a bat or two.

Joan supported her family in their pursuits as well, whether it was horses, music, baseball, magic, cooking, sewing, or fishing. We her children have many skills due to her. She especially doted on her grandchildren, who she watched every day after her retirement. They are all caring, intelligent, empathetic people because of her.

In addition to her husband Ern, Joan is survived by her children Rebecca (Samuel), Paul (Michele), Jason (Nicole), and James, grandchildren Samuel, William (Laura), Edward, Madeline (fiance Nick), Jacob (Haley), Leslie, Cameron, and Cassandra, sister Nancy DeAngelis (Kenneth), brother David Cordingley (Julie), and several nieces and nephews.

Relatives and friends are invited to her Viewing on Friday, January 15, 2021, from 9 to 10 a.m. followed by her Funeral Service beginning at 10 a.m. at Holy Ghost Orthodox Catholic Church, 70 Holy Ghost Way, Phoenixville, PA 19460. Interment will be in Holy Ghost Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate memorial donations to Montgomery County SPCA, 1059 Sweisford Rd., Perkiomenville, PA 18074. Arrangements are by The Bernard S. Gutkowski Funeral Home, Swedesburg, Upper Merion Twp., PA, 19405, 610-275-6385, Keith J. Murphy, F.D. www.gutkowskifuneralhome.com

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