Name: Kriegshauser Mortuary-West Chapel
Address: St. Louis, MO

I'll meet you on the basketball court in heaven my friend. Just like old times.
Gary (Worm) Bibb

 To Catherine Hammond. There are a whole lot of people who miss your Dad. The one thing I know for sure is that your Dad loved and misses you too!

Cary was an excellent attorney and represented his firm and his clientele with distinction. Our interactions were always professional and I enjoyed our conversations as we worked together in servicing our mutual clients. As a leader in the legal community with an emphasis on qualified plans his contributions and knowledge will be greatly missed. I will remember Cary and his family in my thoughts and prayers. May God give you comfort and strength during this challenging and difficult time. Warmest personal regards.

I knew Cary during our days at UMSL he was not only one of the brightest students there but had one heck of a basketball game my sympathies to the family, he was one of the good ones

My deepist sympathies to Careys family, I have known Carey for over 25 years and had the pleasure to work with him and Joint Council 13 before my retirement, a true friend of Labor.
Rod Joggerst
Teamsters Local 618

My deep sympathy to Cary's family.  He was an outstanding lawyer filled with knowledge and experience.  Cary was a friend to unions as well as management.  He will be missed. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
                                                  Norman Merlo ,  St. Louis, Mo.
(                                                                           
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"Our deepest sympathy to Cary's family ; he was truly a great lawyer a good friend a strong voice for workers rights,the Labor community will truly miss him.God Bless his family"    Roger & Rosalie Poole.

I would like to express my heartfelt sorrow for your loss.  
Cary was such a special person and so full of life.  He truly had a rich life in his work, his friendships and with your family.  His humor was "incomprehensible to the masses" as he and Denny would say. It was truly a blessing to have known him.

My condolences to Cary's family. Cary was a wonderful attorney and will be missed.

My sincerest condolences to Cary's family.  May he rest in peace.  It was a pleasure to have known Cary.

Our condolences to Cary's Family.  Cary was always well respected and a pleasure to work with.  I know the Teamster's will miss his guidence and friendship.  Karl Busch (Local 600 Vice President-retired)

Dear Leigh and family,
Cary left our firm, Hearnes, Padberg, McSweeney and Slater,  to go on his own over 25 years ago, and I haven't seen nearly as much of him as I would have liked since.  But I'm not surprised at the numerous sincere and heartfelt messages on this guest page---he was a friendly, humorous, obviously intelligent addition to our office, and his leaving was our loss.  My deepest sympathy to you and yours, Leigh, on his much too early death.

To all family members, friends, acquaintances and any one who will find their way to this page:

Cary Hammond was my best friend for close to fifty years.  Leigh, Clayton, Catherine, Kathy and Craig, I truly share deeply in your sorrow.

Cary's career achievements, accolades, testimonials being written on these pages are a pleasure to read, and tell the story of an enormously kind and successful lawyer, father and husband. 

In one short page I will attempt to portray Cary, as I knew him.  

How many people can you name, where you can look back almost fifty years and remember the exact nature of your introduction? I can.  Cary sat in front of me in Mrs. Shipman's study hall at Normandy High in 1965 and my life has never been the same since.  I consider Cary to be the single most important person in helping to direct many of my own modest achievements and views on life.  Although, Cary would disavow this serious attempt at gratitude and respond “G, George Wallace and I have nothing in common.”  And then we would all laugh at my attempt to give Cary a meaningful compliment and then move on.  Cary's intellect and approach to learning were only surpassed by his almost indescribable comedic genius. He was able to appraise and interpret real life experiences in a most unique way. And for over 40 years, with a special group of friends, he turned some of them into unforgettable memories that we began referring to as “the stories”. And they would be recalled, retold, and added to, with new “stories”. Cary was never content to let new material involving some indiscretion one of us may have committed go to waste.  Even if it meant including himself in a self-deprecatingly manner.  But most of the time it didn't. 

Cary didn't have more material to work from than any one else.  But it was Cary's special insight to see and instantly put words in motion that would allow “the stories” to take on a life of their own.  I'm not talking about one or two funny instances.  I'm referring to an endless stream, a lifetime, where one story would be patch worked into another, whereby at the end of an evening, we would be gut-splitting laughing, to the point of whoever was sitting next to our group probably wished they had been seated elsewhere, or seated with us.  In fact, at our last get-together, someone got up from another table that had been enduring our loud and raucous laughter all night and came over to Cary and asked if his stories were really true.  Cary responded, “Oh yeah!” and the guy said, “Wow!”

· In reading through Cary's Guest Book, I recognized a name I hadn't seen or heard in years.  Lowry Pei, who worked with Cary in the Physiology Department at Missouri Medical Department.  Mr. Pei, I'm sure, is a participant in one of “the stories” that was high on the request list for Cary to repeat as our group would gather, mostly at a birthday celebration around February 1st.
 
As Lowry mentioned, he and Cary did an internship at the University of Missouri Columbia where tests were performed on bats.  The bats were to be injected with THC, and then analyzed.  Cary soon recognized that the doctors tended to look upon the interns in a way more associated with janitorial support, than genuine lab technicians. In order to provide comedic relief, and also infuse self esteem in the interns. Cary soon had the interns referring to each other as “Doctor” in the presence of the real doctors.  So, therefore, it would be, “Dr. Pei”, with a response of, “Yes Dr. Hammond?”  In retribution for Cary providing the interns with comedic relief, and knowing who was the instigator of the “intern contempt” Cary's boss, Dr Somebody responded by assigning Cary, menial tasks to perform.  One such task was to go to the library and research a way to rid the hundreds of bats kept in cages of their mites that were interfering with test results. Cary was gaining on job experience for what would become his career passion, fighting for and raising the self esteem of the working class interns against the boss Doctors and curing the bats of mites. Cary would later drop from his resume, curing bats of mites.

As Cary would tell our group this story, (one of our favorites), smiles would come to our faces early on.  We already knew the end of the story but we wanted to hear it again.  Cary would then tell us how he went to the library for about a half an hour without during any research at all, and then move on to Harpo's, finally stopping at a store on his way back to the lab where he purchased several SHELL NO PEST strips.  Cary then hung the strips in the cages on Friday and arrived back on Monday to find all of the mites had been eradicated…but…so had all of the bats.  After taking the pest strips out of the cages and disposing of them Cary called his boss down (Dr Somebody) to view what had “mysteriously” occurred over the weekend.

Cary in many ways was a practical person who sought practical solutions.  Once, I got in Cary's 1964 Corvair and noticed he had a piece of black electrical tape covering a dial on his dashboard. I said, “What's up with the tape?”  Cary replied, “Aw, the oil light keeps coming on, and I'm tired of looking at it.”  The story would later be embellished, when Cary would say, “Yeah, I used to go in the gas station and tell the guy to check the gas and fill the oil.” That was Cary at his best.
  
One last story before I go:  Cary had an apartment in Ferguson in 1968.  It was about 10 PM.  Cary said, “G, can you drive me and my date down to Luigi's to pick up a pie?”  I said, “Sure”.  I drove his Corvair down to Luigi's with Cary sitting shotgun and his date from Lindenwood sitting in the back.  After Cary picked up the pie, he and his date switched places.  Cary was now in the back seat.  On the way back to his apartment, Cary's date kept saying how hungry she was and how nice it was for Cary to get some pizza.  Cary was very quiet in the back seat.  When we got back to the apartment the three of us walked up a long flight of stairs with Cary carrying the pizza box. All the while Cary's date chattering about how hungry she was, and the pizza smelled so good coming back in the car.  He went into the kitchen, placed the pizza box on the table, and then disappeared rather quickly. His date went over and opened the box. She looked puzzled and then said something in a disgruntled voice.  Sure enough, Dr Hammond had eaten the entire pizza on the way back, carried the empty box up stairs, and then went in and went to sleep.  John LaRico was kind enough to drive Cary's mortified date back to Lindenwood. 

Cary was the glue that held the whole group together.  When I speak of the group I am referring to:  Denny Moore, John Laufer, Jim Velten, Mike Marsh, John LaRico, John Killenberg, and Mike Mouser.  These are friends that were very close with Cary for an extended period of time.  Each of us will search for the strength and resolve to come together in the next few days to pay tribute knowing that the smiles or stories will never be the same.  Thank you Cary.

Your friend
Gary Gerst

from your friends in High Hill, MO Cary, rest in peace, dear friend, rest in peace

                                                Jerald A. Pelker (Director of Training-retired)

Cary was a true champion of working people, a fine lawyer and a loyal friend.  My deepest sympathies go out to Cary's family for their loss. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him and his contributions to his fellow man.

To the Hammond Family,
Thoughts, prayers, peace, & hugs to you all during this most difficult time.

I am so sorry for your loss.

(friend of Craig's from Scottrade)

Cary was a valued partner for all his clients.  I certainly benefited from having the opportunity to work with him.
Rest in peace.

Mike Kilker Holmes Murphy

I met Cary 32 years ago when I worked for Brackman, Copeland, Oetting, Copeland, Walther and Schmidt.  We had a lot of fun at the "happy hours" after work with all of our fellow legal staff, and remained friends throughout the years.  His love and devotion to Clayton was representative of his love for his family, and when Catherine came along, he was ecstatic.  He will  obviously by missed by so many people by the testimonies of this guest book, and I will always be thankful for his friendship.

It was my privilege to serve with Cary on the Productive Living Board of St. Louis County.  His dedication and passion to individuals with developmental disabilities was apparent in any conversation with him as was his deep love for his family. 
 With deepest sympathy-
Mary Beth Monafo

The members of Teamsters Joint Council 13 will be better in the future for everything that Cary has done for us over the many years he has represented Teamster locals in St. Louis,Mo. I was proud to have him represent us in all our battles but most of all I was proud to have known him for over twenty five years and call him my friend. You will be greatly missed my dear friend ! My deepest sympathy to all of the Hammond family.

Marvin Kropp, President Teamsters Joint Council 13 St. Louis,Mo.

We were so sorry to hear of your loss.  The thoughts of many are with you at this time of sorrow.

My deepest sympathies to Cary's family......Cary was a great friend of labor and a good friend to me for many years.  Though I've retired, I have many fond memories of our association through Teamsters Local 600.  Rest In Peace, friend.

I temped at Diekemper Hammond & Shinners years ago but I always remembered how kind Cary was to me. In fact, he gave me a glowing recommendation for a position with another lawfirm. My sincerest sympathies are with his family and friends at this very sad time. He was definitely one of the good guys.

REST IN PEACE BROTHER HAMMOND
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
I.B.T. LOCAL 600 GOLDEN AGE RETIREES CLUB
RONALD M. GUSHLEFF, SR., PRESIDENT...

A RESPECTED FRIEND AND TRUE FRIEND OF ORGANIZED LABOR...

My deepest sympathies to the Hammond family and to all the Hammond and Shinners team.  It was an honor and privilege to serve as his court reporter and I will miss the smell of his cigar in the office.  He always cared so much for others.  He will be so missed.

My deepest sympathy to Cary's loved ones.

My thoughts and prayers are with Cary's family and friends.  He was an outstanding labor lawyer and friend of the common man. Despite the accolades, I know his main focus and pride was always his family.  It was a honor to have worked with him as his paralegal.  God bless the Hammond family.

My deepest condolence to Cary's family.  He was a special person, a friend of the working class.  He will be missed.
Earline Jones

Cary and I worked together as lab technicians in the Physiology Department at the University of Missouri Medical School, in Columbia, in 1969-71. We were both conscientious objectors. Cary was a larger-than-life personality, with great ambition and drive, really smart, really competitive, a total pain in the neck and a sweetheart beneath the surface. He loved to tell stories about what a "wild man" he was in college. But his wild man days were already behind him and it doesn't surprise me one bit that he became the man who is memorialized here. It also comes as no surprise that he worked tirelessly on behalf of workers' rights. He was always passionate on the subject of justice. I'm sorry that I did not get to stay in touch with him as we grew older, and it shocks me that he has died. My condolences to his family. He's irreplaceable.

Lowry Pei
Cambridge, Massachusetts

My deepest sympathy goes out to Cary's family and friends. Cary was a great labor attorney and labor will miss his leadership very much. I enjoyed the time I spent with Cary and was very proud to call him my friend. God bless you Cary, rest in peace

Working with Cary these past many years on the Productive Living Board was such a pleasure.  He was one of the kindest, most caring individuals I have ever known.  He was a colleague, mentor, and peacemaker.  I will miss his wisdom, wit, and humor.   Condolences and sympathy to his family.

My deepest sympathy to Cary's family, friends and the Hammond and Shinners office staff.  It has been my pleasure to know and work with Cary for the past 34 years.  I will miss his advise and input on issues we had in our office and seeing him at various meetings held in our building.  Rest in Peace Cary you will be missed!!

To the family of Cary Hammond,
Please accept my heartfelt sympathy for your loss.
Thank you so much for sharing the pictures in the photo gallery.  Even though I am fully aware of how much Cary loved and treasured all of you, it is truly heartwarming to get a glimpse into that part of your lives that I otherwise would not have had the privilege of seeing.
His presence at the office is dearly missed.
My sincerest thoughts and prayers are with you.

 Excellent craftsman at his trade. My pension life is secure because of Cary's diligence. A mans' man in all respects. Great sense of humor and quick witted. A true giant in our Labor community. Thanks Cary, I will miss you.

                                                                    Tom Daniels LU110-R

I had the pleasure of knowing and working with Cary for over 30 years,his advise and understanding of workers issues helped untold Union members achieve a better life. He will be sorely missed. To his family, Our deepest symphony.

On behalf of The Segal Company, our deepest sympathy to Cary's family, colleagues and the community. Cary's presence and advice helped countless Trustees and Fund professionals make practical decisions for workers and company owners. His quick wit and rhetorical expressions will be sorely missed by everyone.

On behalf of BAC Local 1, our deepest condolences to Cary's family. Cary was simply the best, the Labor Community has lost one of its greatest allies.

My deepest sympathy goes out to the Hammond family. Mr. Hammond was a wonderful man who loved life and his family. I greatly appreciate all the tickets to the Cardinal games he gave me to enjoy. He will be missed.

Rest in peace, old friend.

Mike Hinton
Saint Charles, MO

My deepest sympathy to Cary's family. Without a question he was one of the best labor attorneys I had the privilege to work with. It is apparent that he also was a good husband,father, and friend. He will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

Cary was a mentor and inspiration for me as a young attorney. He will be sorely missed.  He had a brilliant mind and a great devotion to the rights of working people.  He truly was a giant in his field.

I comment on this guestbook with great sorrow in my heart. Words cannot express my thoughts as I try to grapple with the loss of my true friend. Cary will be greatly missed by Labor and all of those who knew him. I am a better man to have gotten to know him and to have been able to work along side of him for so many years. 
My sincerest thoughts and prayer go out to the family during such difficult times.

My sincere condolences to the Hammond family.  Cary protected the rights of thousands of working people across IL and MO and his hard work and determination will last forever.  He will be missed and cherished by so many.

Cary was a good friend of my late husband, Jerry Schmidt.  They ran around together in high school.  Jerry shared many stories with me of "adventures" he and Cary had together.  God be with his family and two old friends are reunited.  Sincerely, Joyce Schmidt

A sad day for friends and family--and for countless working people whose lives are better today because of the efforts of this great man. A great loss.

Our sincerest thoughts are with all of Cary's family and friends. Tens of thousands of family's benefited from Cary's work , unbeknownst to them.
Cary was a tireless advocate for working people. Labor never had a better friend. 
Gods speed Cary .

We have lost a great friend in the Labor family

Cary was a very special boss and mentor, who opened my mind to a great many things about the law and life itself.  I will really miss him.  My deepest sympathies to all his family and friends.

My condolences to Cary's family; he was truly one of a kind, a great lawyer and an even better man.  It was my pleasure to know him and we have all been graced by his presence and person.  
Mark Kiesewetter

My deepest sympathy to Cary's family.  My thoughts and prayers are with you.  The wonderful memories you shared together are yours to cherish forever; try to find comfort in those during this difficult time.

My deepest sympathy to Cary's family and friends. A very big loss to the labor community and to union brothers and sisters everywhere. I am proud to call Cary my brother.

My sincere condolences to Cary's family.Cary was one of a kind and a complete gentleman. He will be missed. God Bless you all.

OBITUARY

Cary William Hammond

February 1, 1948 – January 21, 2013

Kriegshauser Mortuary-West Chapel

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