The San Lorenzo Valley and the broader Santa Cruz County community are mourning the loss of Mary Hammer, a beloved founder and lifelong advocate for the region. Hammer died Nov. 6 after a brief illness, leaving behind a profound legacy of service, compassion and environmental stewardship.
Hammer was born in San Francisco in 1937 to Charles and Claire Mehan and grew up in Alameda as an only child. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School and later attended UC Berkeley.
After studying abroad in Germany, she met her husband, Joe, and the couple married in 1965. They moved to the San Lorenzo Valley, where Hammer would spend the next six decades of her life, raising two children, Eric and Lisa, and becoming an influential figure in the community.
A former teacher with the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, Hammer was known for her dedication to education and for fostering lasting relationships with students, many of whom later raised their own families in the Valley. However, her passion for service soon led her beyond the classroom.
Hammer became a tireless advocate for the preservation of the local environment, including the San Lorenzo River, and was a member of the Save the River Foundation. Her work focused on protecting vital water resources and promoting environmental sustainability throughout the Valley and beyond.
Her leadership extended to numerous community causes, including political campaigns, disaster preparedness and emergency response. She became a key player in the Valley’s response to the devastating floods and storms of 1982 and 1983, which isolated the region and caused widespread damage. Her advocacy for emergency preparedness led to the creation of the Neighborhood Survival Network and Volunteer Emergency Preparedness Project, initiatives that laid the groundwork for modern Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT).
As executive director of what was originally the Valley Resource Center (now Mountain Community Resources), Hammer led the organization through significant challenges, including the 1986 storms and the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. During the earthquake, she was instrumental in coordinating relief efforts, a role that earned her the Outstanding Public Service Award from FEMA.
Under her guidance, the organization transformed from a volunteer-run entity to a formal nonprofit. In 2001, the Valley Resource Center was renamed Mountain Community Resources in honor of its expanded role in the community.
“Mary was a force of nature, and I have never met anyone with such devoted and unanimous support for the things she cared about,” said Raymon Cancino, CEO of Community Bridges, the nonprofit that now oversees Mountain Community Resources. “Throughout the years, I was so grateful to earn her trust, respect and support for the work we do at Mountain Community Resources. Mary lived her commitment through everyday action, and instilled a lasting testament to ensuring reciprocity and mutual aid was part of what we do. This will be a lasting legacy that will continue to ripple for generations to come and will hopefully ensure we continue to keep the San Lorenzo Valley safe, prepared and ready to respond to our communities’ needs.”
In addition to her work with Mountain Community Resources, Hammer was a founding member of the Valley Women’s Club of San Lorenzo Valley, where she championed natural resource preservation and disaster preparedness. Before that, she was instrumental in the Save the San Lorenzo River Association, an initiative focused on restoring the river that flows from the Santa Cruz Mountains through downtown Santa Cruz to the ocean at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.
Her dedication also extended early on to serve on the County Planning Commission, where she advocated for sustainable, community-centered, environmentally sensitive development.
Hammer, who was an Honorary Trustee of the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, served on its board from 1999-2007. She also played a pivotal role in the creation of the Fund for the Future of the San Lorenzo Valley, an endowed fund managed by the Community Foundation that continues to support local nonprofit organizations in the Valley.
“Mary’s leadership is visible in the continued service of so many who have followed her,” said Susan True, CEO of the Community Foundation. “We know Mary is still with us because we can see her reflected in the countless community organizers, nonprofit organizations, acts of service, bright smiles, offers to help, and each of the caring leaders whom she mentored. Mary insisted on making our world a better place and she did everything in her power to bring people together to care for the Valley and for each other.”
Hammer’s work continues to be felt in such organizations as the Valley Women’s Club, SLV Rotary and Mountain Community Resources, all of which were impacted by her guidance.
Throughout her life, Hammer loved being with family and friends, teaching, reading and exploring nature as an avid cyclist, camper and hiker. She found joy in connecting with others, whether in local campaigns or initiatives, and was beloved for her kindness, optimism and unwavering belief in the goodness of people.
Hammer is survived by her children, Eric and Lisa, and her grandchildren, Ruby, Charlie and Nicole. She is reunited with her late husband, Joe, whom she fondly called “Joey.”
In honor of Hammer’s enduring contributions to the San Lorenzo Valley, her family and Community Bridges encourage donations to the nonprofit she founded, Mountain Community Resources, which provides vital services such as food, clothing, counseling, legal assistance and parenting classes to residents in need. To donate, visit communitybridges.org/mcr/.
