James Aubrey Hamm

James Aubrey Hamm, was born in Camden, Ark., on June 16, 1941, to parents Annette Baker Hamm and Aubrey H. Hamm. He died on May 5, at the John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. After graduating from high school, he joined the U.S. Navy. His tour of duty included a cruise around the world that inspired a lifelong love of geography, languages, and other cultures. He completed his undergraduate degree in foreign languages from Henderson State Teacher's College, and then graduated from Stephen F. Austin University with a master's in German and Spanish. As a college student, he was an avid ham radio hobbyist and his friends were from countries all over the world, including Syria and Israel. He taught languages to junior high students and students at Henderson and Ouachita Baptist College. He learned languages throughout his life including Serbian, Arabic, Portuguese, and Italian. He loved to play guitar and mandolin and often traveled from his home in Mena to the Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, where he would connect with other music lovers and kindred spirits. He is survived by his daughters, Kathryn Jane Hamm, Deborah Leigh Hamm; and their mother, Claudette Hamm; grandchildren, Dylan Mario Ambrosini, Maddox Claude Ambrosini, and Autumn Lela Jones,; and his dear friend, John Watkins, his brother in spirit. In honor of his love of other cultures, we ask that donations be made in his name to Canopy Northwest Arkansas in support of the resettlement of Afghan refugees. You can donate here: www.canopynwa.org/donate. And you can find more information about the Arkansas resettlement program here: www.canopynwa.org/help-afghan-allies. A facebook group has been created, "In Memory of James Aubrey Hamm", for friends and family to share photos and stories.