School of Communication and Fellow Students Honor Ford Hammontree’s Death

Fourth-year multimedia journalism student Ford Hammontree died Jan. 31, according to his obituary, which described him as a “lover of all people.”

To honor his time in the journalism program, the School of Communications hosted a showing of his works Feb. 7 in the Television Studio, where they featured a variety of his projects, including video, podcasts and written works. 

Hayden Lai, a fourth-year psychology major, said he met Hammontree as a first-year when they were both living on the third floor of Campion Hall. 

Lai said he saw Hammontree wearing an Avengers shirt, and they ended up striking up a conversation which ultimately led to a four-year friendship. The two became roommates their second year at Loyola, according to Lai.

Lai said he remembers Hammontree for his kindness and willingness to reach out and offer support to those around him. 

“He had the biggest heart,” Lai said. “He cared about people so much, and he just wanted to help people.”

Lai said he introduced Hammontree to skateboarding about halfway through their first year of college and Hammontree fell in love with the sport. 

In his absence, Lai said he’ll miss Hammontree’s ability to comfort people, his advice and his smile most.

“He knew how to just light up a room,” Lai said. “He always made me feel safe.”

Lai recalled one of his favorite memories which he felt summed up who Hammontree was as a person. He said Hammontree had just returned from a visit to a taco restaurant he frequented. When he had gone up to order, he had realized he had forgotten his wallet at home. The workers gave him a free burrito. 

“He comes storming back into our apartment, and he’s like, ‘I’m gonna go back there and just give her $100 for giving me this free burrito,’” Lai said. “Just thinking about that makes me smile.”

Lai said if he could see Hammontree again, he would tell him he loves him. 

21-year-old Autumn Arl said she and Hammontree were dating at the time of his death. The couple met three years ago, and she said he was one of the first friends she made at Loyola. They began dating in August. 

Arl said she’s a shy person, but with Hammontree everything felt easy. 

“He was never a small talk guy,” Arl said. “He always wanted to know you and he wanted to know things about your dreams, even if they were uncommon or you thought you would never achieve them — he would want to listen and he would encourage you.”

Arl said what she misses most is the simple things they used to do together, like making breakfast and watching TV. She said she’s sad she won’t get to see him achieve his dreams. 

A multimedia journalism major, Arl said Hammontree had considered becoming an investigative journalist, a police officer or a school teacher. 

Hammontree worked part-time with Chicago Public Schools. Arl said he adored the kids he worked with and looked up to his mother, who was an elementary school teacher. 

Arl said she hopes he knew just how many people cared for him and how much she needed him in her life. 

The 21-year-old, originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., was on track to graduate this May.

Arl said Hammontree’s family is asking for donations to the organization I Understand That Love Heals, which works to provide support for those affected by suicide and mental illness, according to their website. 

Hammontree’s family couldn’t be contacted for comment at the time of publication.

Campus Ministry notified the Loyola community of Hammontree’s death in a Feb. 5 email, including quotes from multiple faculty members whose classes he completed. 

“Ford will be remembered for his warmth, enthusiasm, and kindness — qualities that left a lasting impression on all who knew him,” Campus Ministry wrote in the email.

Around 35 people filled the room when the event began in the SOC at 11 a.m., including Ashlar, the university’s therapy dog. Students and faculty continued to filter in and out of the showing until it concluded at 12:30 p.m.

Although nothing is currently scheduled, Campus Ministry stated in their email they plan to host another commemorative service in the future. 

Hammontree had a variety of video works, including a video feature on a band, a deep dive on the issues with Kanye West’s school Donda Academy and a written feature on an animal shelter. 

One of his pieces was a podcast he created, titled “Being a Big Brother.” In it, he speaks about feeling protective of his younger sisters and emphasizes the work of older siblings. At the end, he left a message for listeners. 

“If you have an older brother or an older sister, next time you see them, make sure to tell them that you love them and that you care about them,” Hammontree said. 

Journalism Professor and Senior Professional in Residence John Goheen said he had Hammontree in two classes — Introduction to Video for Journalists and Mastering Video Reporting and Storytelling — which are the classes where he produced a majority of the work on display at the event. 

Goheen said he has his students turn in their work in class on a physical flash drive rather than submitting it through an online forum. At the end of the semester, he deletes everything from the flash drive. However, because he was in the process of transitioning to a new flash drive, much of Hammontree’s work was saved and able to go on display.

Goheen said he will remember Hammontree as someone with a big smile who was often the first student in the class, always with his skateboard in hand.

“If you know somebody, whether they are a student, a friend, family, whatever, it’s a tragedy,” Goheen said. “You think about a young person who loses their life, he’s just about to go start a career and you think of all of the what ifs.”

Lai said it was nice to see how many people were willing to come and support Hammontree’s work at the SOC event. 

“I think Loyola showcasing his work was really special because I remember him sitting on the couch working on his Kanye school project and I remember going out to the park and filming with him,” Lai said. “I just remember him running around Rogers Park like ‘I need to film,’ and to see it all come together was really special.”