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During the late 1960s, Betty C. Hamilton welcomed newly arrived residents to Oahu with a gift basket full of goodies as a volunteer hostess for the Aloha Newcomers Welcome Service. Betty C. Hamilton,
known for generosity,
dies at 91OBITUARIES
By Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin"Her generosity carried beyond her," said daughter Sarah Preble.
Hamilton, 91, known among friends and family members for her generosity and creativity, died of a heart attack at Pohai Nani Good Samaritan Retirement Community on Aug. 20.
"She has many friends who will miss her smile and vitality," said Edna Shoup, 80, best friend of Hamilton's for 25 years.
"We spent a lot of fun days together."
Born in Racine, Wis., on Aug. 11, 1909, Betty and her husband, John, decided to retire to Kailua from Old Greenwich, Conn., in 1966.
Hamilton donated her body to the University of Hawaii medical school, which "was absolutely in character of her."
Hamilton was the president of Friends of the Kaneohe Library, a group of volunteers who stacked and sorted used books from other libraries, individual donors, estates and schools.
"She was very knowledgeable about books," said volunteer Marilyn McGovern.
Along with volunteering at the Kaneohe Public Library, Hamilton spent her time petroglyph rubbing. Often, she would organize petroglyph tours to the Big Island.
"It was a wonderful way of escaping reality," said Shoup, who accompanied Hamilton on their petroglyph rubbing trips.
Hamilton's other interests included ceramics and plants.
"She was a prolific craft person," said Preble. "She always had great plant sales in her home in Kailua."
From palm trees to gingers and ferns, she had her finger on many different things, Preble said.
"We would go to the beach to pick up pebbles for her plantings," said Shoup. "There are a lot of good memories when I think about her."
Sometimes, she gave away as many plants as she sold, said Preble. "She was an outgoing, generous person with lots of interests."
"Everybody who knew her knew how important it was to her to live her life fully," said Preble.
McGovern said, "Betty was truly a mentor to all of us here."
Hamilton is survived by husband John L. "Jack" Hamilton; children Philip Hamilton, Sarah Preble and Carol Hamilton; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial gathering will be held at Pohai Nani in the Club Room on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. Casual attire.