Cyril D. Ham

Cyril D. �Cy� Ham, formerly of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, died peacefully at his home in Albuquerque on Friday, May 17, 2013. He was born on August 11, 1919 in Los Angeles, California, the son of Virgil G. and Louella F. Ham. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where he lived until his junior year in high school. He finished high school in Los Angeles where he enjoyed playing sports and was a Golden Gloves boxer. His favorite sports were track and field and football. He set a new school record in the pole vault - a record that was not broken for 10 years. In his senior year, as Captain and quarterback of the football team, he led the team to compete in the finals for the Southern California Championship. He also enjoyed playing the trumpet and, on New Year�s Day in 1937, he played in the marching band that led the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena and put on the half-time show at the Rose Bowl college football game that day. He attended college at the University of Nevada in Reno.. He graduated in 1941 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and Mathematics. His post-graduate studies were at Princeton, M.I.T. and Rutgers. While at the University of Nevada, he was the recipient of the Board of Regents Scholarship and the Charles E. Clough Scholarship for Excellence in Engineering He was elected to the Phi Kappa Phi National Scholastic Honor Society and the Nu Eta Epsilon Honorary Engineering Society, was President of the student body of the Engineering College and President of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was listed in �Who�s Who among American Colleges and Universities�. Soon after graduation, he married his college sweetheart, Margaret M. Ham, of Reno. She was his beloved wife for 67 years until she died in 2008. During World War II, he served in the US Navy Air Corps as an electronics officer and was in charge of electronics instruction at the Ground Controlled Approach Radar Training School at Cape Canaveral, Florida and the Olathe, Kansas Naval Air Technical Training Center. His business career was with Westinghouse Electric Co. and the Okonite Co., an electrical products manufacturer in Ramsey, New Jersey. He was the Director of Customer Service when he decided in 1971 to retire and move to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was also a registered professional electrical engineer in Oregon and lived in Portland for a number of years before moving to New Jersey. In Myrtle Beach, he started his own electrical contracting company and a water purification company and ran these companies for 12 years. While living and working in Myrtle Beach, he was very active in local and county affairs. He was an avid golfer and belonged to the Surf Club and the Dunes Club in Myrtle Beach. He won the Club Championship at the Surf Club in 1978 and the Championship Flight of the President�s Cup in 1981. He was very proud to have had 2 �holes in one�, one at each club. He was predeceased by his wife Margaret M. Ham, his brother Virgil G. Ham Jr. of Encino, California and his grandson Scott McElroy of New Vernon, New Jersey. Survivors include his sister Veronica Sibley of Woodland Hills, California and his daughters: Marcy McElroy and her husband Ned of West Dover, Vermont; Teri Linton and her husband Walter of Albuquerque and Debbie Ham of Albuquerque. He leaves six grandchildren: Beth, Todd and Peter McElroy; Matt, Amy and Darcy Linton and his great-granddaughters Peyton and Meredith McElroy and Camera and Xaiden Linton. He also leaves many nieces, nephews and dear friends. A memorial service will be held in Albuquerque on Sunday, May 26 at 4:00 at the Daniels Family Funeral Home,7601 Wyoming Blvd. NE. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to a charity of the donor�s choice. To view information or leave a condolence please visit www.danielsfuneral.com Daniels Family Funeral Services 7601 Wyoming Blvd NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 505-821-0010