Bradley Jay Hammel

Bradley Jay Hammel passed from this world on March 9, 2026, unexpectedly in his home on March 9, 2026 from an undetermined health condition. He began his earthly presence when his family welcomed this happy baby boy into their Salt Lake home. “Braddie Boy” was an easy baby with a shy disposition and blended well with his more extroverted older siblings. His sister enjoyed putting his hair in a ponytail from time to time and he was fine with that. Nothing much bothered him, as long as he had his favorite blankie.

Born into a tennis family, he was not sure if he wanted to start playing tennis at all because that would mean he would need to talk to his opponents. However, after he won his first two matches, he said to his mom, “When ‘s my next match?” This initial entry into tennis opened the tennis door for Brad and changed his life. He was blessed with loving parents who not only played tennis but organized many tennis events. This resulted in Brad having life-long friendships.

In his early teens he organized an annual two-week track meet with all the young neighborhood boys. He kept all their stats and encouraged them to beat their record. The parents were thrilled with his program because their children were having fun with their friends, growing up to love athleticism, and it gave their parents some free time. Brad was a gift to the neighborhood and was often referred to as the Pied Piper.

At Brighton High School his accomplishments were extraordinary. Brad broke the record for running the mile while concurrently playing the number 1 Singles position on the tennis team for all three years. He won the region championship at number #1 singles as a senior. He also excelled at the sport of ping pong and loved playing basketball in the LDS church program.

The high point of his tennis career was when he received a scholarship to play on the Utah State Men’s Tennis Team. He played #1 and #2 positions in singles and #1 doubles for four years with partner Scott Rockwood. Twice they qualified for the National NCAA Doubles Championships. The team was strong in all six positions and together they took the USU Tennis program to a new level of competition and set the stage for future Aggie excellence. Brad thrived on the camaraderie of the team and his friendships lasted for decades.

In the sport of tennis, doubles was where Brad’s tennis skills really shined. In 1971, he was ranked #9 in the Intermountain Section with his brother, Laury. Later after college he was ranked #2 in the Intermountain with his partner Drew Sweet in both 1979 and 1980. Brad was thrilled to be publicly recognized as a member of the 2000 USTA National Tennis Family of the Year. Another highlight was earning fourth place at the Mother Son Nationals in 2002. He entered the Huntsman Senior Games at age 50 and took the Gold; he received #1 Men’s 50 Ranking in Utah that year.

Brad became a charismatic tennis instructor who loved teaching. His first job as a coach was in high school when he taught at the Cottonwood Heights Recreation Center. In college he wowed youngsters in Boston for one summer at an inner-city junior tennis camp, and another summer at his brother's tennis camp. His former students, now grown-up, rave about how much fun they had with Coach Brad and how tennis made such a difference in their lives. In his 5th year of college, he stayed on to be the assistant coach at USU.

Brad married Rossybell Zepeda in 1981, and they had a beautiful child named Vanessa. They later divorced. Brad stayed connected to his daughter throughout her young life by attending holiday parties at Grandma Ruby’s house and every fabled Bradley Family Reunion.

Like many youth who were coming of age in the 70’s, Brad went through a dark time, involving alcohol and drug abuse. But with the love and support of family members and friends he enrolled in a treatment program where he discovered the miracle of the 12-Step program. His courage and determination enabled Brad to make a life-changing comeback that ultimately liberated and uplifted his life. He became sober in 1994, the same year he went back to college at the U of U. He was able to celebrate his sobriety and recovery anniversary every year for over 30 years

He began rebuilding every aspect of his life, including a stronger connection with Vanessa and more time spent with his three grandchildren. Brad also embraced everyone in his extended family including his siblings’ children as well as Vanessa’s siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins, who were mostly of Guatemalan descent. No matter how they might all be related, they all loved coming to grandma’s house.

Brad received two degrees at the U of U. Bachelor of Science in 1998, and Master of Social Work in 2002. He chose to dedicate his career to helping others. His grace and humility led to an outstanding career. This included employment at Project Reality and Valley Behavioral Health, and Blomquist-Hale in 2004, where he worked as a part-time counselor for 22 years. Soon after he began a full-time job with the County as a Quality Assurance Coordinator for the SL County Behavioral Health Services Department. His co-workers agreed he was an extraordinary man. He was non-judgmental, genuine, had a kind heart, and touched many lives. Others mentioned that he was a major source of entertainment during team meetings because they never knew what he was going to say. Brad cherished these moments spent interacting directly with others.

A life mission for Brad was counseling and encouraging others to heal their addictions through an effective recovery program. He actively promoted the Salt Lake City Recovery Day and helped found and served on the original Board of the Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Awareness (USARA) from 2010 to 2016, serving as the Board Chair for two years. USARA has grown dramatically since its early days and now has a staff of 47 people working in six Recovery Community Centers.

In later years, he took an interest in photography and made many personalized photo albums for his extended family to give away at Christmas time. Brad was also an on-line sleuth. He joined Ancestry.com, where he was able to find his father’s enlistment and discharge dates from the military as well as meet an old friend of his Aunt Ruth’s, who sent him Ruth’s letters. Other websites offered him a chance to find many articles about the Hammel family that had been totally forgotten.

Over the last several years of his mother's life Brad would visit her several days a week. She inspired him because of her positive outlook on life. He helped her with technology such as internet, printer and cell phone problems or other trials that would pop up for her. These regular visits encouraged him to start a garden in her backyard where he built wooden raised beds, added new soil, and created a watering system. He harvested tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash that he enjoyed and shared with his sister when she came down to help out, as well as many neighbors that were coming to visit his mother. The Garden kept Brad in touch with his mother and his family members referred to him as `Farmer Brad’.

Brad grew up attending the Holladay UCC church as a young boy. He shared spiritual and social activities at this church many times throughout his life when his family would hold milestone parties for his parents. In the last three years of his life, Brad would drive his mother to church more regularly. He not only found strength and friendship within this loving and giving community, but he renewed the faith that brought him peace during the beautiful and complicated process of the physical decline of his mother. Even after her death, Brad either attended alone or watched the service on his television. This spiritual community, the clergy and Caring Committee played an important role for the family during the passing of Ruby and Brad.

Brad retired from Salt Lake County at the end of July 2025. After a glorious retirement party with co-workers, family and friends, he spent the next three months living at his childhood home and caring for his mother who was living alone until she passed in October of 2025. His plans for retirement included fixing up what would soon be the first house he would own. Other plans were to have spine surgery and fix his right-hand numbness, thus being able to return to his favorite sport of tennis. Brad also mentioned wanting to go to the Grand Canyon to visit the path he once ran. He was getting to know all the neighbors and there is no doubt that he was planning on sharing his sweet tomatoes.

Brad, we all miss you so much, our world has changed. We hope your gentle soul is roaming freely across the Grand Canyon, moving from rim to rim and enjoying all the stunning beauty.

Brad is remembered and admired by his daughter, Vanessa Hammel, his 3 grandchildren, Daniel, Anthony and Tati. His siblings, Laury Hammel (Robin Young) and Carolee Hammel (Tom Barber). He is preceded in death by his father, Lee Sayre Hammel and his mother, Ruby Bradley Hammel

On June 6, 2026, there will be a reception at the Memorial Mountain View Cemetery on Bengal Blvd – Greeting and Conversation from 11:00 am -12:15 pm and a Graveside Service to follow. In lieu of flowers consider donating to USARA in memory of Bradley J. Hammel https://www.utahrecovers.org/donate/