Judy Ann Hamilton

February 21, 1936 – April 1, 2024

Sister, aunt, grandma, no matter what you call her, there are a few things that everyone knows who knows grandma Judy. First, she loved her husband, Frank, more than anything in this world. We all knew how she loved us but we all knew, also, how she loved him first. Second, Grandma prided herself on caring for her family. Whether it was planning a rocking New Year’s Eve party that would put a fancy drink in your hand and a shrimp cocktail served on the perfect plate, or a big family dinner including three rooms full of tables and chairs swelled with laughter and storytelling, she held us all together.

Born on February 21, 1936 to the late Donald and Ordeltia Bolen, grandma would eventually be one of 9 children. Combined siblings between her family and grandpas counted 16. This made for a large-than-life family in which they spent vacations and holidays next to their siblings and their spouses. Dinner at her house on any given Saturday would be prefaced with, ‘this is nothing fancy,’ followed by china plates and each person being presented with their own Cornish game hen. Nothing fancy, that is what we always got from grandma. It was obvious that she believed that each of us deserved the very best of everything.

She said it was her duty to make sure that grandpa laughed at least once a day. The tales around this rule in their home I am not at liberty to divulge in writing, but they are worth the time if you’d like to listen. This and so many things grandma taught us have made us all the loving partners we are; the kind of people we became in the world. She loved love, and it showed.

We all belonged to her. Grandma did not have biological children of her own, but we never used the word ‘step’ in our family. Her parental love gave us all a place next to her that did not have to be earned, it was given freely and with radical acceptance. Our families meshed together and we loved one another as if no boundary could be seen. This was her example and the gentle lesson she taught us.

In addition to her pleasure in being the wife of a colonel, grandma Judy also retired from a career at Columbus City Water. She retired in 1992 and spent retirement traveling the world with her love; 18 countries in all. She and grandpa would hop a jump seat in a military plane with small carry-on luggage and a money bag with enough petty cash for any country where they might find themselves. Their thirst for adventure took them all over the world along with a routine trip to their honeymoon hotel on a beach in Florida, The Seabreeze. Still holding on to the bill from their wedding night, grandma did not hesitate to ask for the same rate more than 50 years later.

After only four short months without her love, she fell ill with a broken heart. Cared for by a close family team including her sister, Sherri Rhoades, and Nieces, Cyndi Cuccio, Barb Howard and Kathy Ely, she left us. Late on April 1, 2024, Judy was excitedly intercepted by her husband, Col. Frank R. Hamilton Sr., who preceded her in death, along with her parents, siblings, her son, Bob Hamilton, and her grandson Frank R. Hamilton III.

Judy is survived by her Sister, Sherri Rhoades, her brothers Don (Joan) Bolen, and Mike (Diana) Bolen, children Frank (Linda) Hamilton, Sandra (Jon) Burnside, Donna (Bob) Hamilton, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, a great, great grandchild as well as many nieces, and nephews. We will forever dedicate every fancy dinner to you, sweet grandma Judy.

A visitation for Judy will be held Friday, April 12, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Schoedinger Northwest, 1740 Zollinger Road, Columbus, OH 43221, followed by a funeral service at 1:00 PM.