William Hammerbeck's Obituary
William "Bill" Hammerbeck of Warren passed away June 28, 2009. He was 79.
Mr. Hammerbeck was born October 6, 1929 in Portland, Oregon.
Residing in Warren, he graduated from Scappoose High School in 1947. Following he attended the University of Oregon and earned a B.S. in accounting.
On July 17, 1952, he married his college sweetheart, MaryAnn.
As an R.O.T.C. candidate, he then fulfilled his commitment in the U.S. AirForce.
After his discharge in 1954, he and his wife settled in Portland, where he took a job with Public Accounting. In the same building, a brokerage firm, Walston Co., caught his attention and he became fascinated with the stock market. But with a young wife and baby daughter to support, he was cautious about giving up his $275.00 –a-month salary to step into a new career with no guaranteed income. But his curiosity prevailed and he launched into a calling that would keep him fulfilled for nearly 50 years.
Applying himself to his trade in the same manner he had done while working alongside his father, William O. Hammerbeck, a well know Swedish carpenter in the area, he approached his work with the precision of a master craftsman. His formula for success was honesty, service, hard work, and prayer. In time, his guideline led him to the top of his profession.
In the early 1970's he cofounded a Portland-based brokerage firm, Belford & Hammerbeck. Eventually he started his own firm, Hammerbeck & Co., which was later purchased by A.G. Edwards & Sons. In 2001 he retired as vice-president of A.G. Edwards.
Often joking with his clients that his birth in 1929, the year of the great stock market crash, had no bearing on his qualification for handling their accounts, in fact, he earned a reputation in the Portland business community for being one of the most astute and reliable financial advisors in the area.
As successful as he was, he considered his business a platform for ministry and was profoundly concerned about the spiritual well being of his clients and co-workers. He served as board chairman of a nationwide Christian businessmen's association, CBMC, through which he arranged and orchestrated outreach functions for people who work in the marketplace. He also served on the boards of the Portland Rescue Mission and Language Institute for Evangelism in Japan, and conducted the fundraising operations for the 1992 Billy Graham Crusade in Portland.
While his name and fame took him to high places in many arenas, he never forgot his roots. In 1980, he and his wife built a home in Warren. Shortly after, he co-founded Warren Community Fellowship, which held some of its early meetings in their home.
He was often seen driving around the area in his old faded pick-up truck, "Big Red", with his dogs Pebbles and Carl beside him, visiting with old friends and making new friends.
As a former quarterback, catcher, and captain of the varsity basketball team at Scappoose High School, he understood the value of athletics to the community, and gave generously and worked sacrificially on behalf of his alma mater. In 2005, he was welcomed into the school's Hall of Fame.
A cheerful giver, he invested in people as passionately as he did in business and his life strategy yielded bountiful returns. His greatest legacy is a long list of friends who loved him and a grateful family that longs to see him again in heaven.
He is survived by his wife of 56 years, MaryAnn; daughters, Susan Page and her husband Dave of Scappoose, and Linda Morud and her husband Jim of Warren; sons, Timothy of Palm Springs, California and Todd of St. Petersburg, Florida; and grandchildren, Lydia Daniel Thygesen, Mitchell Page and Laura Page, and Olivia, Lucia, Mark, and Anne Morud.
A celebration of life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, July 3, 2009 at Warren Community Fellowship in Warren.
In lieu of flowers memorial gifts may be made to Warren Community Fellowship.
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