Sumako Iwata Hammack

Sumako Iwata Hammack, age 97 of Danville, Virginia passed away Friday, May 17, 2024 at her residence. She was born November 23, 1926 in Japan to the late Seiji Iwata and the late Ishi Matsumoto. She was married to the late Lee Thornton Hammack, Sr.

She retired at the age of 85 after a lifetime of dress making and alteration work. She will always be remembered as a hardworking, kind, and loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend to everyone who knew her. Being a military wife, she followed her Army husband, traveling the world with their three boys in tow, at one point the children being under 3 years of age, from Japan to Georgia to Germany then Washington state and finally to Virginia. Later in life, she made a dozen trips to Japan, and a couple of trips to Sweden to visit her grandson.

She is survived by her three sons, Lee Thornton Hammack, Jr. (Kathy) of Rockville, Virginia, William Alan Hammack and Roger Steven Hammack, both of Danville, Virginia; two grandchildren, Leigh Garrett Hammack Lowery (Dan) of Richmond, Virginia, and Niklas Ronn (Jennifer) of Sweden; and two great-grandchildren, Benjamin Lowery and Daisy Ronn.

In addition to her beloved husband and parents, she was also predeceased by one son, Robert Stephen Hammack; one sister, Chieko Iwata; and two brothers, Takao Iwata and Hiroshi Iwata..

A private graveside service will be held Saturday, May 25, 2024, 1:00 p.m. at Mill Creek Community Church Cemetery, 3720 Chalk Level Road Chatham, Virginia.