Dorothy Hammond, an avid musician, music teacher, church administrator and wife of Rev. Al Hammond, the pastor of the Community Presbyterian Church, in American Fork, died Tuesday in her home in Salt Lake City surrounded by her husband, three daughters and a sister. She was 66.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, Feb. 1, at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olympus Presbyterian Church, 3280 East 3900 South, Salt Lake City.

Mrs. Hammond, a Berkeley, Calif.-native who met her husband in Germany, served as choir director at the historic American Fork church, one of the oldest churches in Utah County and a center for worship in downtown American Fork for over 135 years.

A former elementary school music teacher who graduated from U.C. Berkeley and George Mason University, where she earned a Master of Arts degree in Music Education, she is survived by her husband of three decades, a former Army officer who has served as the pastor of the Community Presbytarian Church since 2009.

Al Hammond, whose background is technical engineering and physics, said in a past interview that he credited his wife’s support for entering the Salt Lake Theological Seminary, which led him to his ordination almost a decade ago.

Mrs. Hammond, who holds a Certificate in Christian Studies from Salt Lake Theological Seminary, is also survived by three accomplished daughters, two of whom received master’s degrees — one in music and the other in architecture. The third daughter has a law degree. Mrs. Hammond had recently become the grandmother of a baby boy.

When she was not playing the violin, bass guitar or piano at the American Fork church, she served as Director of Children’s Ministry and Executive Administrator at the Mt. Olympus Presbytarian Church, in Salt Lake City. She also loved riding her bike, ushering for a downtown event or just being home making a quilt or piece of jewelry.

After her musical number during church service on Jan. 5, Mrs. Hammond was seen taking more time than usual when she put away her violin, according to someone in attendance. Before carefully placing the bow and violin back in the case, she slowly rotated the bow and stroked it, one member said. After battling cancer for four and a half years, this was her last attendance at the American fork church.

“The Lord allowed her to live with strength and vigor even when she was told that would not happen,” said Phil Hughes, a family friend and Mt. Olympus Presbytarian Church’s senior pastor. “And, oh, how she lived!”

For breaking news in American Fork, follow the Citizen on Twitter or find us on Facebook.