Evan G. 'Tac' Hammer, 89

Evan G. “Tac” Hammer, 89, passed peacefully on Dec. 27, 2016. He was 89 years old.

A memorial service was held Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017, at 11 a.m. at Burley Funeral Chapel in Oak Harbor, Washington.

Evan, always called “Tac” by his friends, and there were many, was born Sept. 21, 1927. He was a patriotic man and, like many of his generation, he joined the military and proudly served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II. After his military service, he remained in public service and joined the U.S. Forest Service, where he worked in many locations throughout California, including the Trinity Alps and Los Prietos National Forest, until his retirement.

After his time in the military, Tac lived in various places and made many friends over the years in towns like Quincy, California; Oroville, California; Anderson, California; Santa Barbara, California; Eureka, California; Coupeville, Washington; and Plains, just to name a few.

He was a true renaissance man with many interests and hobbies. He especially loved the outdoors and, together with his wife Vela, enjoyed painting land and seascapes outside their home in Coupeville, Washington. After Vela passed, Tac finally “retired” and moved to Plains to live with his sister Ruby, where he spent his time tending his large garden, enjoying the wild and beautiful Montana countryside, and becoming a much-loved member of the community of Plains, which he considered to be one of the friendliest and most beautiful places he had ever been.

Tac is survived by his children, Steven, Verna Lee, Daniel and his wife Courtney; and his step-children, Laurel and her husband Guilibaldo, John and his wife Gwen, Wendy and Kevin and his wife Rachel; his grandchildren, Kellie, Tammy, Margaret, Allen, Dana, Alejandro, Tessa, Stephanie, Antonio, Melanie, Spencer, Jazlyn, and Evan; his 18 great-grandchildren, and his seven great-great-grandchildren.

Tac was preceded in death by his beloved wife Vela Irene.