Jerilou Kathrin Hammett

Jerilou Kathrin Hammett 

September 25, 1943 – February 6, 2025

Jerilou Kathrin Hammett, née Kearns, passed away unexpectedly, but with peace and dignity, in her home on February 6, 2025. She leaves behind a lasting legacy of civic engagement and social justice advocacy. Born on September 25, 1943 in New York, Jerilou grew up in Brooklyn and later moved to Roslyn, Long Island. After periods in New York City, Mexico and Spain she made Santa Fe, New Mexico, her home in 1976, where she became an influential force for positive change.

She is preceded in death by her late husband, Kingsley Hammett, and her parents, Jerry and Louise Kearns. Jerilou is survived by her daughter, Anya Maria Mayans; granddaughter, Juana Louise Bieito Mayans; her sister, Deborah Kearns; nephew, Joachim Kearns; cousin, Josie Pizer; her ex-husband, Ernesto Mayans and his brother Fernando Mayans; her extended family Jose and Kathy Rose Villegas and many, many other close friends who were touched by her warmth and kindness. 

She earned a Masters degree in Education from Hofstra University and later a second Masters in History. 

Jerilou served as the first Director of Consumer Education for the State of New Mexico and was a founding member of Citizens for Prison Change. She was an early supporter of Amnesty International and the Fortune Society in the 1970s and 1980s and worked extensively against political persecution of citizens in Latin America. She was a neighborhood organizer and a key figure in creating the original Living Wage Ordinance in Santa Fe. In 2005, October 11 was declared Jerilou Hammett Day by Mayor Larry Delgado and the City of Santa Fe.

With her husband Kingsley, Jerilou co-authored The Essence of Santa Fe: From a Way of Life to a Style. The Hammetts also co-founded the Santa Fe Skier’s Guide, DESIGNER/builder magazine and Fine Additions, Inc., shaping Santa Fe’s architectural and cultural landscape.

Jerilou was athletic and healthy. She had a deep love for nature and the mountains, often finding peace and inspiration in the outdoors. She loved Elvis, Mohammed Ali and Martin Luther King, Jr. She was passionate about sports, especially baseball, basketball and football. Jerilou enjoyed reading and listening to classical and folk music. 

Her legacy of activism, passion for learning, and dedication to her community will continue to inspire all who knew her. Above all she believed in being kind and compassionate to everyone you meet. She will be deeply missed by her daughter and granddaughter, friends and neighbors.

A memorial service will be held for Jerilou on February 16, 2025 at 3pm at Rivera Funeral Home 417 East Rodeo Rd., Santa Fe, NM 87505.

• "A gift to Reading Quest's family support fund in Jerilou's memory would be deeply appreciated in place of flowers.Reading Quest helps children develop a lifelong love of reading. Reading Quest serves close to 500 at risk children weekly." readingquestcenter.org