Lee Hammel, a fixture on Utah tennis courts and within the tennis community over the years, passed away Thursday at the age of 87 due to causes related to age.
Services will be Thursday.
Mr. Hammel made his first big impression on the tennis community by winning the BYU Invitational in Provo while still in junior high.
He played his high school tennis at East and would later become coach of the East High team. He taught school and was a high school tennis coach for 30 years.
Mr. Hammel went on to play for the University of Utah. He played No. 2 singles in 1946 and No. 4 in 1947.
He was ranked No. 1 in Utah and Intermountain in singles 13 times and doubles six times. He was ranked nationally in men's 50s, 60s, 65s and 70s. Mr. Hammel's highest ranking was No. 3 nationally in singles and No. 1 in doubles.
Internationally, Mr. Hammel played on the Britannia Cup in 1965 and the Crawford Cup in 1970. He went undefeated in nine matches.
He later said that playing in those European tournaments was "a highlight of my tennis career. I won most of the matches I played. But just being picked, from all the players around the country, was something very special to me."
He had, to his credit, five national titles and seven national runner-up awards.
One of his most prized awards came in 2001 when the Hammel family — Lee, his wife, Ruby, and three children — Laury, Carolee and Brad — were named Family of the Year by the U.S. Tennis Association. The USTA recognized a family with strong ties made stronger through tennis, a lifetime game.
In 2000, the Hammels were named Family of the Year by the Intermountain Tennis Association.
Mr. Hammel continued to play the game well into his later years. At the age of 80, he was playing four times a week in organized groups, more if the opportunity arose, and traveled to a number of major events outside Utah each year.
He was a consistent volunteer at tennis tournaments and within the Utah Tennis Association.
Consensus among local tennis officials is that Mr. Hammel got a lot out of tennis over the years "but gave back to his sport far more."