I.E. Mike Hamilton Obituary (1909

I.E. (Mike) Hamilton July 9, 1909 - January 3, 2006 Irvin Ernest Hamilton, 96, of Poulsbo died peacefully on the morning of January 3, 2006 at Liberty Shores/Harbor House in Poulsbo, WA. Irvin became know as "Mike" in High School as he reminded his friends of a cartoon character called Mike. He was born in Osborne, Ohio, now a suburb of Dayton, to Walter and Lizzie Hamilton. His mother died when he was 13 months. At age four, he and an older brother George and sister Anna were placed in the Otterbein Home for 5 years. After his father remarried, the children were brought home. He attended Roosevelt High School in Dayton graduating in 1928, then went to Columbus to attend Ohio State University, obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture. He was smitten by Elsie, and they were married on May 9, 1937, a marriage that lasted just over 67 years when she died on August 31, 2004. After returning from a 10-month trip in Europe in 1939, he settled with Elsie in Seattle where he went to work for Puget Sound Bridge and Dredging. Many years of his career were spent as project manager for the DEW Line in Alaska and other projects which involved some traveling. His only affiliation outside the home and office was with the Mason Organization. Most of his spare time, while living in Seattle, was spent building the family home he designed and built in four stages in the shape of an H, helping to tend a large garden and orchard, tinkering in his shop, and making a multitude of things for his children such as tree houses, tunnels with a fort, a play room equipped with a swing, punching bag, chinning bar and buckets of blocks. He bought a WWII surplus jeep which he taught all 4 of his children to drive around age 12. He made boats for them to float down the creek that ran through their 2 1/2-acre "farm" and non-motorized go-carts to race. In the early 50's he dug a swimming pool for the family. To his children, he could do anything and make anything. He had a very creative mind and was an excellent problem solver. His life long motto when something went wrong was "now what am I going to do to make it right or fix it". He never let things get him down. After retiring in the mid 60's he and Elsie spent many years traveling south joining the snowbird crowd during the winter. Then in the 70's and 80's they began taking trips to other parts of the world that they had not seen on their trip in the 30's. They sold the family home in 1966 and built their retirement home, which he also designed, in Cliffside, a community they helped to develop in 1968. Much of his ingenuity could be seen throughout the house, shop and yard. His large garden was his pride and joy as well as the nasturtiums he planted along the edge of his long driveway. His creativity was seen in his many carvings in the house and yard and in the many uses of the colorful rocks he and Elsie brought back from their trips south. At age 92, his family moved him and Elsie to Liberty Shores/Harbor house where he spent his last years as his short-term memory began to fade and he could no longer take care of Elsie in their home. He was happy most of the time as each day was a new day and the previous day was completely forgotten. He was preceded in death by Elsie, his wife of 67 years, his brother George and his sister Anna Dickey and one grandson, Mark Burhart. He is survived by a son Michael E. Hamilton and his wife Donna, of Auburn, WA; three daughters, Jeanne M. Hamilton of Kelso, WA, Kathy A. Nicholson and her husband, Jim of Reno, NV., and Linda S. Hamilton of Comox, BC; four grandchildren, Adam and Allison Hamilton, Karen Donaldson and Amber Corriston; six great-grandchildren, Joshua and Elysha Donaldson, Brandon, Brittany and Brianna Burhart and Toby Corriston. A memorial service will be at 1:30 p.m. January 7, 2006 at Liberty Bay Presbyterian Church with a reception following at the church. Internment will be at Cherry Grove Memorial Park in Poulsbo under the direction of the Stone Chapel. Memorial donations may be made to Liberty Bay Presbyterian Church Missions Fund. P.O. Box 157, Poulsbo, WA 98370. An online memorial can be seen at www.lewischapel.com.