Life was one long love affair for sheriff's deputy

He always had kisses for his wife, kind words for his family and friends.

By THOMAS LAKE, Times Staff Writer
Published August 11, 2007

HOLIDAY - Robert Hamm loved his wife. He came home every day and waited in the driveway for her to come out and give him a kiss, and sometimes he brought her flowers and other times he brought her turtles he rescued from the side of the road.

Robert Hamm loved his work. He spent 26 years as a Pasco County sheriff's deputy, much of it as a major crimes detective, chasing down murderers and child abusers, and his boss said there was no one he'd rather have at a crime scene.

Robert Hamm loved his brother, Tom, also a cop. One time they were fishing up at Cedar Key with another guy for a few days and they caught 39 sharks.

Robert Hamm loved his mother, and his daughters, and his sister, and his brother-in-law, a man named Craig Holt who used to poach alligators and go in and out of jail and hate the police. He got to know Robert Hamm, and he came to love Robert Hamm, even though he was a cop.

Robert Hamm loved his fellow deputies, several of whom stayed by his bed when the cancer came, and toward the end, when it got hard for him to talk, he asked his wife to give them a message.

"Tell them ..."

He trailed off.

"That you love them?" she said.

"Yes," he said.

Robert Hamm loved his father, U.S. Marine Capt. Troy "Bud" Hamm, and he wanted to be like him, so he joined the Marines. He served four years and got out, but once a Marine, always a Marine, and Marines fight to the end.

He was 50 years old, in horrible pain, and everyone wanted him to go free, but he seemed to be holding on, waiting for something, and even though he couldn't talk he would turn his head toward his father's voice.

His father knew what to do.

Go on up, he told him. There's another father waiting for you.

And a few days later Robert Hamm was gone.

Thomas Lake can be reached at tlake@sptimes.com or 727 992-8665.

Biography

Robert William Hamm

Born: Oct. 28, 1956.

Died: Aug. 9, 2007.

Survivors: Wife, Linda; three daughters, Nicole Hamm, Michelle Hamm, Monica Hamm; stepdaughter, Nicole Bolchazy; parents, Troy and Patricia Hamm; brother, Thomas Hamm; sister, Linda Holt.

Services: Scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13, at First Baptist Church of New Port Richey.

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[Last modified August 10, 2007, 23:13:03]