Erna Else Hammer, a resident of Fishkill, NY since 1958, formerly of New York City, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. She was 86.
Daughter of the late Georg and Gertrude (Novak) Nisse, she was born in Breslau, Poland (formerly Germany) on September 11, 1936. As a child, Erna witnessed the turmoil of her home country's devastation throughout the course of the Nazi invasion and World War II. As a young woman, she met Leonard Hammer, D.D.S., while he was stationed in Germany as an American officer, and then emigrated to the United States. They were married on June 23, 1963 in Queens, NY. After relocating to the Hudson Valley, Erna worked alongside her husband as the receptionist for his dental practice in Fishkill, NY. She was predeceased by her husband on March 21, 2017.
Erna loved gardening, a hobby at which she excelled and which she continued to pursue into her later years. She also enjoyed classical music and was an avid reader, and was a yoga practitioner for many years. She was a strong and resilient person and lived independently up until right before her death.
Survivors include her daughter, Jill Hammer & Jill's wife Shoshana Jedwab of New York City; her son, Marcus Hammer of Florida; her granddaughter, Raya Jedwab-Hammer; her nephew and niece, Michael Goodwyn & Michaela Wirner, along with their families; as well as many other relatives & friends.
In addition to her husband and parents, Erna was also predeceased by her sister, Karin Goodwyn.
A graveside service will be conducted at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, February 17 at King David Memorial Gardens, 101 Mill Street, Putnam Valley, NY.
Memorial donations may be made to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., PO Box 97166, Washington, DC 20090-7166 (www.plannedparenthood.org).
Arrangements are under the direction of McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill, NY. For online tributes, you can visit Erna's Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.