Leonard F. "Lenny" Hammes

LEONARD F. 'LENNY' HAMMES, 75 LAKELAND - Leonard Hammes, 75, Lakeland, FL, passed away November 19, 2016, at home lovingly surrounded by family. He was born on April 23, 1941 in LaCrosse, WI and moved to Florida in 1977. He was the son of the late Norbert and Marie Hammes, LaCrosse, WI. Lenny was preceded in death by his brother Jerry Hammes. He is survived by his wife of 54 years Carol (Scheil) Hammes, his children Sharon Hammes and Jane (Ron) Black, granddaughters Katie Black and Amanda Black, and siblings Norbert (Nancy) Hammes, Donald (Lorraine) Hammes, Phyllis Hammes (wife of the late Jerry Hammes), Mary (Gene) Ostrem, Mike (Sandy) Hammes, Jean (Jerry) Pierce, and Jim (Jamie) Hammes. Lenny worked for many years in the building and maintenance of machinery and then 'retired' to work with his wife doing Upholstery for 30 years. A gathering of family and friends will be held at Heath Funeral Chapel in the Tribute Center, located at 328 S. Ingraham Avenue, Lakeland, FL, 33801 on Saturday, November 26th, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, at www.curemeso.org are appreciated. Memories from the Family When thinking of the words to describe Lenny, the first ones that come to mind are kind and helpful. His actions made it clear how dedicated he was to not only his family, but everyone in his life. He was a great husband, patient dad, and a fun and generous grandpa. He helped so many people with so many things and he did it selflessly. He loved helping or fixing things for others and then teaching them if they wanted to know (or even sometimes when they didn""t!). He was a quiet and serious man, but could bust out with a joke or smart remark that would make everyone laugh. Lenny and Carol visited most of the US by car and enjoyed the state parks (and casinos """) along the way. They also made many trips back North to visit family. He loved to hunt and almost missed Sharon""s birth due to being caught in a snowstorm while hunting. Up until just a few years ago, he hunted regularly with his son-in-law Ron and friends Doug, Dwayne, and Robby. He spent many hours out at the Gandy Ranch doing what he loved, working on broken farm equipment and fixing horse stalls. His other love was The Riverhouse in Dade City where he could fish or canoe down the peaceful river and mow the lawn. Ron and Jane now own that house and will keep the tradition. Although he would have probably loved to have a son or grandson, Lenny loved his daughters and granddaughters! Throughout the years, his garage was full of neighbors and friends who sought out his mechanical expertise. He helped Sharon move more than 15 times! He was always ready to come over and fix anything at her house no matter what it was. He left us all with many good memories that made this world a better place and those memories will stay with us always. Heath Funeral Chapel - Tribute Center Visitation: 11/26/2016 Heath Funeral Chapel - Tribute Center