30 AUG 1955 ~ 12 JUL 2025 – Age 69
Mark Neiman Hammer, age 69, was born at Coleman Hospital in
Indianapolis, IN to Speedway residents Miriam Augusta (Neiman) and Ganz
G. “Tack” Hammer Jr. on 30 AUG 1955. Mark passed away peacefully
among family on 12 JUL 2025. Mark was a resident of Speedway, Indiana
at the time of his passing and was a graduate of the Speedway High
School Class of 1973. Mark attended college at IUPUI briefly studying
Geology before leaving to enter the workforce. Mark was always one to get bored easily and over the course of his life he held many and varied jobs to include: office supply sales, Fireman/EMT
Trainee with the Speedway Fire Department, and bar tender and manager
for several westside Indianapolis watering holes. He worked as a station
manager for Shell Oil of Indianapolis, as a mechanic for the C&H Indy Race
Team at several Indy 500 races, and in retail sales with several auto part
stores. Perhaps the two jobs he enjoyed most were the printing business
and leather crafting. He learned the print and graphics trade while working
for Kinko’s and became proficient at layout, graphic design, and copy/printing. He enjoyed frequently doing personal printing projects for friends and family. He learned leather crafting while employed by Tandy Leather. He became skilled at the craft and made many memorable pieces as gifts for family and friends. Unfortunately, in recent years, increasing health issues made walking, standing, and as a result holding a job, very difficult for him. Over his lifetime, Mark deeply enjoyed time spent with childhood friends and members of his Speedway Class of 1973. He also made numerous friends camping as a youth with the Westwood Ho Camping Club which was loosely based out of the Westwood Country Club near Speedway. The Wisconsin Northwoods town of Sayner, where the Hammer family maintains a Plum Lake cabin, was also a favorite place to get away for a while and make new friends. He especially enjoyed visiting the Sayner Pub, the former Lollycoogan Inn, and eating a great steak with mushrooms at McGregor’s Blink Bonnie Supper Club.
Mark was preceded in death by his father Ganz, mother Miriam, and cousins Brad Hammer, Steve Neiman, Dale Neiman and Colleen (Neiman) Howell. He is survived by his brothers Denny [Barbara] Hammer and Rick [Ann] Hammer Sr. of Speedway. Additional family members include a nephew Jeff Hammer of Speedway; niece Tanya (Hammer) Shelburne and children Samantha Parrish and Danielle Parrish of Brownsburg, IN; nephew Rick [Katie] Hammer Jr. and children Callie and Hudson Hammer of Carmel, IN; niece Juliana (Hammer) [Michael] Piercefield and their children Will, Ethan, and Miles of Brownsburg. Cousins Linda (Hammer) [Chris] Anderson of St. Germain, WI; Kenneth [Bobbi] Jones of Speedway; Renee (Neiman) [Doug] Rath of Shelbyville, KY; and Penny Neiman of Bedford, IN also survive.
As per Mark’s wishes, there will be no public funeral service. A Celebration of Life will be held in
Speedway at a date in August that is yet to be determined. We will update the mortuary’s website and post details on Facebook once they are set.
He requested his remains go to the IU Health Simon Cancer Center to be used for research in hope
that someone might benefit from his passing through research they conduct. Albertson’s Mortuary of
Indianapolis will then see to his cremation. It was his fondest wish to get back up to Sayner and Plum Lake one more time before he passed, but it was just not to be. In a sense, he will realize that wish as his ashes will be scattered over the family homestead up there for a final visit and peaceful rest beneath colorful sunsets and pristine snowfalls overlooking Plum Lake.
A copy of this obituary may be viewed on the mortuary website at https://bit.ly/4eKCHVP. You are
encouraged to share your association with Mark and a favorite memory of him in a message to the family on this website. Until the day you meet again, please hold a fond memory of Mark in your heart. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a monetary donation in Mark’s memory to either Speedway’s Storehouse Food Pantry in care of Speedway Christian Church, 5110 W 14th St, Indianapolis, IN 46224 or to the Holy Family Shelter, 907 N. Holmes Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana 46222
