On February 3, 2023, our father, John Victor Hamilton, passed peacefully on to heaven where he joined his savior the Lord Jesus Christ and his beloved wife of 68 years, Leatrice Ann (Lundin) Hamilton. He was 93 years old. John was preceded in death by his wife, Lea and his son, Mike (Colleen).
Dad was born on August 30, 1929 to Jay R. Hamilton, Sr. and Stella (Valla) Hamilton in Oxnard, California. He was the second of four children including Jay Robert, Jr. (Bobby), Dolores and Paul.
Dad spent the first sixteen years of his life in Southern California. The summers he was 15 & 16, he worked for the Surf Shop in Hermosa Beach, a fact unknown to his children until he recently gave a tooth from a megalodon (a prehistoric monster shark) to one of his great-grandsons. He said the owner of the Surf Shop had given it to him.
Shortly after World War II ended in Europe, Dad’s parents bought a 4-story Colonial home on Shawnee Beach at the south end of Vashon Island. The home had been built by Captain Shaw in 1916. After the family’s move, Dad started attending the all-boys Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma. Bellarmine was founded by the Jesuits in 1928 and became only the second co-educational Jesuit school in 1974. Dad graduated at the top of his class with honors.
Dad met Lea, the love of his life, when her family purchased a summer beach home to the south of the Hamiltons. They were married on August 27, 1949. After living in two small homes in West Seattle, Mom and Dad moved their rapidly growing family to Dad’s previous home on Vashon. His parents no longer wanted or needed a 4-story house, but their soon-to-be nine grandchildren definitely did!
Dad spent a total of 12 years in the Navy; 6 were active (he narrowly missed being sent to Korea) with another 6 in the reserves. After serving in the Navy, Dad went to work for Boeing where he was employed for 40 years. He was a highly intelligent man, and was instrumental in designing, installing, testing and repairing the AWACS for the Air Force. The radar system is still used by the military today (as the AEW&C). Dad was top in his field and survived many deep layoffs over the years.
In the late 1960’s, Dad became a volunteer fire fighter. Excelling quickly in his training, he was promoted to Lieutenant and then Captain.
Dad loved to garden and provided his family with an abundance of fruits and vegetables each year. Of course that meant plenty of weeding, hoeing, and canning for all of us during summer and fall. As well as an excellent gardener, Dad was the handiest of men. He really could fix anything. And he frequently needed to, living as we did in a very large old house.
Dad and Mom took us on many camping vacations to lakes, rivers, mountains and our favorite, the ocean. Dad was an excellent water skier and we all loved to be on or in the water whenever possible. In 1966, Dad bought a 32’ wood fishing trawler and converted it to accommodate our camping trips. We spent several wonderful vacations in the San Juan Islands, fishing, swimming and exploring. But how Mom managed to get two weeks of food and supplies for 9 kids AND the kids on that boat is still a mystery.
John is survived by his brother, Paul Charles, and by eight sons and daughters; Julie (Tim) Thuis, Steve (Linda), Suzy (Tiger) Ljubich, Cyndi (Dale) Korenek, John (Liz), Dan (Lynn), Greg, and Paul (Marcy); 16 grandchildren and 28 great grandchildren.
Dad received a Navy Military Funeral with an Honor Guard in attendance at Vashon Island Cemetery on February 18, 2023, with nearly 50 immediate family members present. Following the Fire Department tradition, our sister-in-law Linda performed the last call.
Heaven bound on the wings of angels
With love, until we meet again
