Obituary of Robert Charles "Bob" Hamilton

HAMILTON: Robert Charles Hamilton was, and will always be in our hearts. After having a great Christmas filled with family, friends, laughter and turkey dinner, Bob passed away with his loved ones at his side on Sunday, December 30th from complications caused by cancer. He was a compassionate man with a very genuine devotion to friends, family, students and any one who crossed his path, never thinking twice to lend his wisdom or a helping hand. Bob was born on November 15th, 1950 to Beryl and Robert J. Hamilton. He grew up in Brandon's east end with his sister Jane, and spent his summers working, building life long friends and crafting his wonderful character and love of the outdoors at Clear Lake. In his youth, Bob was very active in many sports including basketball, tennis and volleyball. After receiving a scholarship to study at the University of North Dakota, Bob completed his bachelor's degree in education with a major in physical education and a minor in English in 1973. It was during his university years that he met the love of his life, Joy Donnelly at Clear Lake in Riding Mountain National Park. The two were wed in 1975, after spending countless nights talking under the magical stars of the 'old campground' and on midnight canoe rides. After 6 years of marriage their first son Blake was born in 1981, followed by Joel in 1985 and finally Gareth in 1989. Bob's family life was immensely important to him. He lived life to the fullest taking his wife and three boys on unforgettable road trips, camping excursions and exploring the outdoors. In his professional life, Bob was a dedicated teacher, guidance counselor and coach for over three decades. He began his teaching career in Rosenort, Manitoba, moving to Thompson, where he taught phys Ed for 3 years and renewed his interest in basketball. In 1977, he returned to Brandon and began teaching at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School, where he spent the next 31 years of his career. Here he taught phys Ed and English, coached numerous basketball and volleyball teams and provided council and support to students and staff alike. After retirement from the Brandon School Division in 2008, he continued to council those in need through his work at the John Howard Society. He also served on the Board of Directors with Child and Family Services Foundation and was a sales representative for the Large Print Phone Book Company which brought him many enjoyable hours traveling across southwestern Manitoba with Joy by his side. Bob's kindness, generosity and compassion will be forever missed by many of those whose lives he touched. He will be deeply missed and cherished by his beloved wife Joy, his three sons, Blake, Joel and Gareth, his sister Jane, niece Jana from Atlanta, Georgia; Sisters and brothers in laws Clark & Mary, Pat & Patti, Chris & Danette, parents in law, Marjorie and Jack Donnelly and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held in Bob's honor to celebrate his life at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at Knox United Church, 451-18th Street. In lieu of Flowers, donations can be made to the John Howard Society on their website at http://www.johnhoward.ca/ or to Elspeth Reid family resource centre http://www.cfswestern.mb.ca/default.aspx Lastly, as a memento to Bob and his family, we encourage anyone who wishes to share a memory they have of Bob to bring it to the service on Saturday or feel free to email them to memories-of-bob@hotmail.com.