Chuck Hammer, born August 27 ^th 1937 in Spokane, Washington, passed away on January 31 ^st 2020 after battling cancer.  He loved his wife of 59 years Dianne; his four children Andy (Robin), Laura (Mike), Pete (Suny) and Christina (Jason); as well as his four grandchildren Alex, Andrew, Justin and Allison; his two sisters, Katie and Maggie; and his beloved chow Bailey and his cat Socrates.

There were three things that were important to Chuck in life: family, friends and his work helping people with tax issues.  For 40+ years, he and Dianne made an annual trek to Kalaloch on the Washington coast with the entire family.  He loved to know how things were going in his kid's lives and always had helpful "advice" on how to deal with problems at work.  He spent time with his grandchildren as a silent business partner, product tester, and Civil War enthusiast.  He and his granddaughter enjoyed watching Forensic Files marathons while eating Oreos and drinking red wine.  As all his friends know, he had a great sense of humor and always had a quick comment on almost any subject.  He was a fixture in the Fernwell Building and enjoyed wandering the hallways keeping his friends from their work.  Chuck obtained his law degree from Gonzaga when he was 40 and frequently told his family that you were never too old to learn.  He loved serving as the Director of the Low Income Taxpayer Program at Gonzaga and passionately believed that everyone should be treated fairly by the I.R.S.  Dianne and family will dearly miss him.  As Dianne commented, "After a while, you just want to be with the one that makes you laugh."  Fortunately for Dianne, she had 59 years of laughter.

A Vigil with Rosary service will be held at St. Ann Catholic Church in Spokane on February 7 ^th at 7:00 PM.  The Funeral Mass will be celebrated on February 8 ^th at 11:00 AM at St. Ann with a reception to follow.  It is fitting that his services are at St. Ann as this was where he started his religious life as an altar boy 70+ years ago.  He will be buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Spokane.  The family asks that those interested in honoring Chuck consider making a donation to Hospice House in Spokane, an amazing place in a time of need; Spokanimal, as he loved animals; or the Union Gospel Mission.