Gary Robert Hinton

Gary Robert Hinton passed away peacefully at Sutter Amador Hospital on August 27, 2024. He spent his last day with his children and his wife at his side and shared a prayer with his friend and pastor, Timothy Huber who comforted him and gave him peace.  He was also comforted and sustained by Pastor Matt Duerr the family's current pastor who visited Gary and prayed with him a little earlier in his hospitalization. 

Gary was born on June 6, 1946, at Betty Wiley's Maternity Home in Sutter Creek to Sylvanus “Slim” and Evelyn “Evie” Netherton Hinton of Pioneer. His paternal grandmother, Cimarrona Robinson and her family were homesteaders in Amador County settling in the Daffodil Hill area of Volcano in the 1850's. Gary was always proud of his family's Amador history.

Gary went through his school years first at Pioneer Elementary and then Amador High School in Sutter Creek. He met his high school sweetheart, Karen Grijalva, and they married in 1964. In the first years of their marriage, they lived as far away as Alaska but returned to Amador County and Pioneer where they finally settled down and built a home in 1974 on land his father had purchased in the early 1940's. 

Gary held several jobs in his life including: flagman on Highway 88 at Silver Lake working with his father “who was in charge of the dynamite”; lineman with “Ma” Bell phone company in Placerville;  moulding worker at American Forest Products in Martell;  warehouseman at McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento; forest worker for US Forestry; procurement officer for Mt. McKinley (now Denali) National Park in Alaska; correctional officer at Lemon Creek Jail in Juneau, AK;  construction laborer on New Perris Dam in So. California; and finally, correctional officer with California Dept. of Corrections where he worked at Sierra Conservation Corps, New Folsom State Prison and Mule Creek State Prison from which he retired as a Sargent in 2001.

Before his first heart attack in 2011 he loved to cross country ski and hike in the mountains. Later in life he was involved in tracing his family history. That was instrumental in his becoming a member of the Mother Lode Scots organization as Gary was Scots/Irish among other things, and he and his wife always attended the Burns dinners, Scots Christmas walks, etc. when his health allowed. They also made it a point to attend the Scottish “games” when they could and visited Pleasanton and Woodland every year until the last two years when his health declined. He was also an avid reader from the time he was a child. He especially liked science fiction. 

Gary was a man of God who came to his faith later in life but from that time served his Lord faithfully and well as bible study leader, treasurer and any other duty requested of him. He served at Faith Lutheran Church in Pioneer, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Jackson, and more recently at Foothill Lutheran in Valley Springs. He put his love and energy into his faith, his family and his country to the best of his ability. 

Gary threw himself into his work, faith and family with everything he had. He was a man of principle who considered honesty and service his highest priority. He was a good, generous, and faithful husband, father and friend. 

Gary is survived by his wife of almost 60 years; his three sons Brian, Branden (Elise) and Sean (Andrea); three grandchildren, Silas, Anna and Angelina “grandpa's girl!”; two step-grandchildren Savannah (Jake) and Seth; and several nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers, Alan and Gene and his brother-in-law, Mark.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, September 27, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at Daneri Mortuary in Jackson, CA with reception following at the American Legion Hall in Sutter Hill. The family will hold a private inurnment at Amador Memorial Cemetery in Pioneer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gary's name to Hospice of Amador, American Heart Association, or charity of donor's choice.