John P. Hummel, 75 of Millbrook, NY, passed away on Saturday, June 6, 2026, after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, at the age of 75. He was born on June 24, 1950, and by his own account, lived exactly the life he wanted.

He is survived by his devoted wife of 42 years, Mary Kay (née Maley) Hummel; his sons Chris (Kristine) and Kevin (Kelsey); his daughter Ann Marie (Collin); his granddaughter Eleanor, daughter of Kevin and Kelsey; his siblings Peg Brochu, Ed (Jean), Tom (Lisa), Joe, and Jim (Jen). He was preceded in death by his parents, Kathryn and Edgar Hummel, and his brother-in-law Thomas Brochu.

John was a competitive track athlete at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, NY, and continued running at Manhattan College in the Bronx, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1972, graduating with honors and on the Dean's List. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Princeton University in 1976, studying conformational analysis of polyaryl compounds and polysilanes under Professor Kurt Mislow. He then completed postdoctoral research at Stanford University and IBM Research under Nobel Prize-winning chemist Paul Flory, studying the physical chemistry and statistical behavior of macromolecules.

John joined IBM Research and spent 33 years there as a research chemist — what he considered, at the time, the best job in the world. His work spanned polymer chemistry, materials science, and semiconductor research, including contributions to IBM's work on Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM), a next-generation non-volatile memory technology. He accumulated numerous patents, earned IBM's Eighth Invention Plateau, and retired having built the career he had set out to pursue.

Alongside his career at IBM, John shared his passion for chemistry as an adjunct professor at Dutchess Community College, Ulster Community College, Marist College, and Columbia-Greene Community College. He also served a year as a faculty member at New Mexico State University through an IBM faculty loan program. In retirement he threw himself into the Meals on Wheels program in Millbrook, NY — organizing and managing all volunteers, shopping for ingredients, preparing and organizing meals, and spending countless hours at home trialing recipes to get them right before serving the community he cared about.

He was also a dedicated volunteer weather reporter for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS), logging more than 5,200 precipitation observations over 14 years. Over the course of his life, John pursued an impressive range of hobbies and interests — building the family home in Millbrook with his own hands, winemaking, brewing beer, growing mushrooms, maintaining a large vegetable garden, bowling, and volleyball, among many others. He had a deep well of knowledge across an equally wide range of subjects and was never short of advice. He was a lifelong fan of the Jets and Yankees, and shared his home and life with more than ten very large German Shepherds over the years.

He is remembered as a man who built things—homes, careers, gardens, meals, and communities—and who took quiet pride in the family and life he created.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, June 12, 2026, from 5:00–8:00 PM at Allen Funeral Home, 3270 Franklin Ave., Millbrook, NY. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM at St. Joseph's Church in Millbrook, NY, followed by burial in St. Joseph's Cemetery, Millbrook. A repast will follow at noon at Lyall Memorial Church, Millbrook, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to Meals on Wheels, care of Lyall Memorial Church, Millbrook, NY: 📧 MealsonWheels@Lyallmemorial.org 📞 845-677-4265