Mary “Anita” Hammack, 91, of Fort Smith passed away on Sunday, January 3, 2021 in her home. She was born on October 20, 1929 in Fort Smith to Otis Everett and Mary (Crockett) Fox. She taught at both Sparks School of Nursing and the Westark School of Nursing, she was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the American Nurses Association and was named to the Arkansas Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 1992. She was awarded the Lucille Speakman Excellence in Teaching and the Whirlpool Master Teacher Award. After retirement, Anita remained active in ministry. She started a foot care clinic at Immanuel Baptist Church, was commissioned to the Mission Service Corp of the North American Mission Board, and was the co-founder of the Fort Smith Christian Women's Job Corp (now River Valley Christian Life Corp). She was preceded in death by her husband Thomas Hammack, a sister, Joyce McMahen, a brother, Reverend John Fox a grandson, Robert Jason Gregg and a son in law, Thomas Harman.
Funeral services are 10:30AM, Friday, January 8, 2021 at Rye Hill Baptist Church with burial to follow in the U.S. National Cemetery under the direction of Ocker-Putman Funeral Home of Fort Smith.
Viewing will be available on Thursday, January 7, 2021 from 1-5PM.
She is survived by her daughters, Julia “Judy” Massingale and her husband Charles of Fort Smith and Deborah “Debe” Harman of Fort Smith; a son Thomas Duane Hammack and his wife Leslie of Fort Smith; a brother, Reverend Otis E. Fox, Jr and his wife Lynn of Oxnard, CA; three grandchild and four great grandchildren.
Honorary pallbearers are Bobby and Paul McMahen, James Fox, Irvin Graham, David Woodson, Dave Winston, Hank Hutcherson and Tony Hammack.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to River Valley Christian Life Corp (RVCLC) P.O. Box 601 Fort Smith, AR 72902.