Jon Harold Hammond

Jon Harold Hammond, of Juno Beach, Florida, passed away at home on February 3, 2019 at the age of 66 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He is survived by his beloved wife, Andrea Helfrich Hammond; stepson, Carl Helfrich of Atlanta; and sister, Judith Olson of Windermere, Florida. Jon was the indulgent uncle to three nieces and six nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Millicent and William Hammond of Upper St Clair, Pennsylvania; older brother, William Hammond of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and younger brother, Richard Hammond, of Jupiter, Florida.

Jon was born in Wadsworth, Ohio on July 18, 1952. His family moved to Upper St. Clair when he was ten, where he excelled in academics and on the athletic field. He attended one year at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio, before returning to Upper St. Clair to complete his secondary education, building a reputation as a star football player and earning his nickname, "Humble, Happy Warrior". Jon subsequently graduated from the University of Virginia McIntire School of Commerce, and was a member of St Anthony Hall where he formed many lifelong friendships. His entire life he continued to support the University of Virginia and was an avid fan of their sports teams. After graduation in 1974, Jon’s career began at Pittsburgh National Bank’s Management Training Program. After a year he accepted an opportunity with US Steel Chemicals and Plastics Division, first in Pittsburgh, then Chicago, and finally transferring to New York. He was recruited by Citibank to become a municipal bond salesman and quickly was their top producer. Jon met Mark Kessenich in the bond business and they developed a strong professional and personal relationship. He joined Mr. Kessenich in 1986 at EF Hutton and became Managing Director of the Fixed Income Group. In 1988, when Hutton was bought out by Shearson Lehman, Jon and Mark took the opportunity to start their own bond trading firm, East Bridge Capital. The highly successful firm was sold to a leading Japanese financial services company in 1998, whereupon Jon retired to Juno Beach, Florida. He continued to use his financial acumen to trade successfully and retain his competitive edge.

Jon was an avid golfer and amassed championship trophies at his clubs; East Hampton Country Club and Meadow Brook Golf Club of New York, Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia, and Old Marsh Country Club in Jupiter, Florida. Jon loved playing with his father, William Hammond at St. Clair Country Club, outside of Pittsburgh, and they won the member-guest Championship many times. Jon was also a committed Steelers fan.

Jon enjoyed long-distance swimming, which kept him in excellent physical condition. On his 61st birthday he proposed to the love of his life, Andrea Helfrich. They enjoyed their married life in Juno Beach and also Hilton Head, South Carolina, where they had many friends and a robust social schedule including travel, golf, boating, and dancing. Jon was a true gentleman, and remained a giving, thoughtful, loyal and fun loving family member and friend throughout his 66 years.

A Memorial Service for Jon will be held at the Lost Tree Chapel in North Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday February 10th at 2:00 PM, with a reception following at Old Marsh Country Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his honor to the University of Virginia Jon Hammond Memorial Fund by mail at P.O. Box 400331, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4331.