Jack C. Hormell was born on February 9, 1922, in Houston, Texas. His family later moved to Torrance, where they were residing on Arlington Avenue at the time of the 1930 U.S. Census. By 1940, he was living on West 218th Street, in the area known as the “Shoestring Strip,” adjacent to Torrance in Los Angeles.

His father, Charles Hormell, worked as a machinist at the National Supply Company in Torrance, a major supplier of equipment for the oil industry that later produced materials for ship construction during World War II.

Jack Hormell graduated from Torrance High School in the summer of 1941, alongside his sister, Mina. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in December 1941, shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Private Hormell was on active duty, stationed at an Army air base near Crystal Lake, Florida, when he died in a drowning incident on March 21, 1943.

He was survived by his parents, his sister, and two grandparents. His body was returned to Torrance and received at Stone & Myers Mortuary, accompanied by an honor guard. Funeral rites were held at the Catholic Church of the Nativity, followed by interment at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.

Jack Hormell’s name was added to the Torrance Veterans Memorial Wall in April 2026 due to the diligent work of Craig Bilezerian and Torrance Historical Society volunteer researchers. His inclusion ensures that his service and sacrifice are formally recognized and remembered by the Torrance community.