Professor Ella Louise Hammond Sims

Adams announces the passing of Professor Ella Louise Hammond Sims, 76 who transitioned on Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at Hospice Savannah.

 Funeral Services will be held 11:00 AM, Friday, March 31, 2023 at St. Paul CME Church located 1601 Barnard St.

*This Service Will Be Live-Streamed On Our YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@adamsfuneralservicessav8503*

Viewing will be held from 4 PM - 6 PM, Thursday, March 30, 2023 at the funeral home.

Interment: Oak Grove Cemetery.

Ella Louise Hammond Sims Obituary

October 9, 1946 – March 21, 2023

Ella Louise Hammond Sims was born in Sumter, South Carolina on October 9, 1946. She was the seventh of eight children born to the late Lucious and Daisy Walters Hammond. She was raised in Sumter, SC and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1964.  Ella was baptized at Jehovah Missionary Baptist Church under the guidance and tutelage of the Rev. Benjamin F. Weston. She was active in the Sunday school, and sang in the Sunbeam, Junior and Youth Choirs until she left to pursue her higher educational achievements.

Ella earned her Bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC. At South Carolina State University, Ella participated in a variety of organizations. She was Associate Editor of the college yearbook, The Bulldog Publication; a member of the Sunday School, a source of religious guidance for the entire campus; and Vice President of El Circulo Español, presenting Spanish films and plays to the student body. In the Fall of 1967, Ella was initiated as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Beta Sigma Chapter with her sister, Dorine Hammond Miller. 

Ella later earned her Master’s Degree from Atlanta University (Clark Atlanta University) in Atlanta, GA.  Ella pursued her doctoral studies with the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. She completed further studies at Emory University, Dartmouth College and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Ella became a professor of Sociology, producing generations of Social Workers. She taught at Southern University A & M College in Baton Rouge, LA and retired in 2007 after 30+ years with Savannah State University as the Director of Gerontology (study of aging). Ella presented workshops and seminars across the nation. Her presentations were designed to provide caregivers with information and training that can assist in care for their older loved ones. She presented to the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia, Inc., the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, the Georgia Gerontology Society, the Association for Gerontology in Human Development in Historically Black Colleges and Universities and in numerous churches in rural Chatham, Effingham and Liberty counties.

“To be Black, female and engaged in working with the elderly means to be emotionally involved with them.” This statement reflects Ella's commitment to her work in the field of aging and her awareness of the needs of families who provide care for the frail and impaired older persons. Ella not only dedicated her research and work to the field of aging and caregiving, she dedicated her life to caring for family and friends through their illnesses.

Ella was ordained…