Past Lodge President Steve Hammarskjold passed away on Monday, August 22, 2022 at the age of 75.

Captain Hammarskjold was born and raised in the City of Detroit, graduating from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School in 1965.  He developed a life-long love of ships and shipping, in part, due to frequent trips to the Detroit River to see all the activity on the waterfront.  He started to develop his nautical skills by attending the State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College as a cadet on its training ship Empire State IV.

Steve started work in 1968 for a Norfolk Southern Railroad predecessor company on their river carferry steamers Detroit, Manitowoc, and Windsor.

He progressed to sail the NS' towboats F.A. Johnson and R.G. Cassidy as Operator / Master of uninspected towing vessels and First Class Pilot.

When Norfolk Southern ceased its railroad carfloat service, Steve continued to work with them as a locomotive engineer until his retirement in October of  2010, after 42 years of company service.

He met his wife-to-be, Shelly, on a blind-date for a Detroit Lodge dinner-dance and they were married the next year (1994).   Shelly passed away on August 11, 2017. 

Steve joined Detroit Lodge No. 7 in 1977 and over the years served the Lodge in a variety of offices including Lodge President in 1985 and Delegate to the Grand Lodge Convention in 1986.  At the 2010 ISMA Convention, Steve was appointed and installed as Grand Warden, and served in that capacity until the 2011 Convention.  In 1998, his fellow lodge members honored him with the Lewis Ludington Award.

Steve was preceded in death by his parents, Nils and Irene (Neszala) Hammarskjold, and his wife, Shelly Yaroch Hammarskjold. Survivors include many cousins, caring companion Mary Beth Scavone, and dear friend Andy Kronk.

The family has suggested donations be made in Steve's memory to the Capuchin Soup Kitchen and the Dearborn Firefighters Burn Drive. 

An on-line guest book can be found at the funeral home website.