Ferdinand "Fritz" Hemmer

February 7, 1932 - September 3, 2019

Ferdinand “Fritz” John Hemmer of Crownsville, MD passed away on Sept 3, 2019. Fritz was born in Dewitt, NY on February 7, 1932 to Alfred and Alice Hemmer. He has three brothers (John, Tony, and Richard) and three sisters (Dolores, Veronica, and Maria), whom he cherished. He is predeceased by his older sister, Nancy, and half-sister Patricia Dolan. Fritz graduated from Cathedral High School as valedictorian in 1950 and earned a full scholarship to Syracuse University where he obtained a Bachelor Degree in Mechanical Engineering and was a member of the Air Force ROTC. After college he moved to California where he worked for Rocketdyne pioneering early rocket technology. Later, he moved to Maryland and worked for Propulsion Dynamics before he went into business for himself with Hemmer Servo Design. Fritz enjoyed snow skiing from the 1950’s until the he skied for the last time at age 75 in Breckenridge, CO. While in Maryland Fritz developed a love of sailing and joined the Crabtowne Ski Club. He was especially dedicated to the annual Eggnog party. He was active in the Catholic Church and Republican National Convention. Those who knew Fritz admired his childlike love for life and for telling old stories. He was a consummate “do-it-yourselfer” and took great pride in building and fixing things himself. He is survived by his son his son, Eric, daughter-in-law, Nicole, and his grandchildren: Stanton, Beckett, and Arabelle, whom he loved very much. He was also especially fond of his many nephews and nieces.