Betty Jean Hamilton

Betty Jean Hamilton passed away peacefully in her home in Milwaukie, Oregon on March 25, 2015. She was 84. Betty was born July 16, 1930 to Leneous Huntford & Lucy Elizabeth (Ely) Lowrey in Astoria, Oregon. Raised in Astoria, Betty started school at age four. Her mother was a teacher at the school next to their home and she tagged along when her brother, Norman, started school. Her father drove truck to Southern California and ran a fruit and vegetable stand. Later, when her mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, the family worked together running a family grocery store. Betty enjoyed working at the store and had fond memories of selling fireworks with her brother. While her mother was ill, Betty acted as her primary caregiver and took over managing the household. Her mother passed away when she was twelve. After that, Betty cared for her brother and father. Betty loved watching baseball games with her father which sparked a lifelong love of sports. Betty was very active at Astoria High School. During her senior year she was the editor of the school yearbook, The Zephyr, VP of GAA, VP of the Library Club, Treasurer of the Quill and Scroll, Torch Honor of Tri Y. She also earned The Women’s Business and Professional Award. Betty graduated from Astoria High School in 1947. In order to put herself through college, she worked seven summers at the Columbia River Packers Association packing tuna and sliming salmon. Betty and her friend Sue Cook Blair had many stories about their time there. Betty attended the University of Oregon for her first semester but transferred to Linfield College to be closer to her ailing father. Each weekend she took the motor coach to Astoria to care for her father and brother. While attending Linfield, her father passed away when she was 18. During her years at Linfield, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Fi sorority. Betty graduated Linfield in 1951 with a BA in English. In addition, she did some graduate work at Colorado State College of Education as well as Lewis & Clark College. The summer after graduating from Linfield, Betty and a good friend drove across the country. One story she loved to tell was that when they arrived in Macon County, Georgia, they were soon pulled over by the local police and were told they were not to be out on their own without their menfolk. They laughed and kept on driving quickly out of the area. Betty followed in her mother’s footsteps by earning her Teachers Certificate and her first teaching job was in Baker, Oregon from 1951 to 1953. She had great memories of driving over to Ontario for ice cream on the weekends. She then taught in Sitka, Alaska, from 1953-54 with a friend from Linfield. She coached the girls’ basketball team and had exciting stories of taking flights to small towns in Alaska and getting snowed in at these remote areas and having to stay with the other team’s families. Betty accepted a teaching position with the Corvallis School District teaching sixth grade at Roosevelt Elementary School from 1954 to 1956. Betty had wonderful memories of working at Roosevelt and enjoyed hearing about her former students accomplishments. In Corvallis, Betty met her husband, Maurice (Mort) Dale Hamilton, who was the Station Manager of West Coast Airlines at the Corvallis Airport. They married March 12, 1955. The Hamilton’s honeymooned in Depoe Bay. The young couple took a trip to Cuba in 1956. When touring the island, their motor coach was forced to pull over as Castro and his entourage was headed into Havana. Later that year they traveled to Europe. They visited England, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium. The Hamilton’s settled in Corvallis and started their family. They welcomed daughter’s Linda and Marcia in 1957 and 1958. In 1960, Mort was transferred to Calgary, Alberta, Canada to open a new hub for West Coast Airlines. The family moved to Calgary and sons Norman and Gary were born there. Three years later, they returned to the states and Mort ran the operation in Portland, Klamath Falls, North Bend and Medford. In 1964, the family moved back to Corvallis when Mort accepted a position as manager at Murphy’s Globe Travel, which later became Hope’s Globe Travel Service. Mary, their youngest daughter was born in 1966. Betty worked as a substitute teacher primarily at Harding Elementary School while her children were little. Once daughter Mary was school age, she took a position at the Presbyterian Church working as a preschool teacher. Betty loved her time there and enjoyed working with the younger children. Over the years, she loved to hear about her former students. Betty encouraged her children to be active in their school. She enjoyed supporting their activities and was a fixture at the ballpark or gym. She worked part time during this period of her life so she could ensure she was available for her children. She encouraged all of her children to further their education and always seemed to have good advice or input on any topic. In 1988, Betty and Mort moved to Portland to be closer to family. After 51 years of marriage, Mort passed away in 2006 after a prolonged battle with Parkinson’s disease. After Mort’s death, Betty moved in with daughter Linda. Caregiving had been a huge part of her life, starting with her mother, then father, brother, husband and children. Throughout her life, she continuously put the needs of others in front of her own. In her later years, she did not have caregiving responsibilities and she finally had time to enjoy herself. She enjoyed family gatherings and spending time with grandkids. She loved her morning newspaper, crossword puzzles, was an avid reader, loved watching all sports, especially the Mariners and Trailblazers, as well as attending her children’s and grandchildren’s ball games. She was active and outgoing up until the very end of her life. Betty is survived by her children, Linda (Greg) Frogner, Marcia Hamilton, Norman Hamilton, Gary (Lynette) Hamilton and Mary (Gary) Dong. She is also survived by her grandchildren Brian Kuske, Ashley (Logan) Kuske Morrison, Leah and Hannah Hamilton, Kevin and Sarah Hamilton, Katie and Austin Dong and one great grandchild Owen Morrison. A memorial service is planned for May 16th, 2015 at St John The Evangelist Episcopal Church in Milwaukie, Oregon at 1pm. A full obituary, photos and guest book are available online at:autumncares.com. Charitable donations may be made to The Milwaukie Senior Center, Milwaukie OR.