Kenneth William Hamilton

Kenneth William Hamilton, 86, of Dartmouth, N.S. died peacefully on June 14th, 2015 at Dartmouth General Hospital, with care from family and expert staff. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Annie Jean Hamilton, children Richard Alan Hamilton (& Karen Collicutt) of Bridgewater, Dr. Robert Murray (& Sandra) Hamilton of Thornhill, Ont. and Dr. Laura Leigh Whitman of Tatamagouche, grandchildren Ian, Shaunessy, Katie (Lohnes), Lindsey (Lohnes), Sarah (Robertson), Kathleen, Alisa, Noah, Jonah, Joshua, Jacob and Foster and great-grandchildren Liam and Aurelie.

Ken is the son of the late William and Lillian (Hill) Hamilton of Lachine, Quebec. Born in Valleyfield, Quebec and raised in Lachine, Ken trained as a machinist with Dominion Engineering before entering the Royal Canadian Navy as an engineer, where he has a long illustrious career as engineer on aircraft carriers, destroyers and diving tender including the Magnificent, Bonaventure, Fraser and Granby. With support of the navy, he completed his high school diploma and a business degree, and was a principal naval overseer of naval refits, computerizing that process. Ken was an electronics, radio, computer, woodworking, live steam and model train enthusiast, founding a radio amateur club, computer club and the Heat Engine Association of Nova Scotia. He was proud to assist in wood recovery for new benches in Point Pleasant Park following Hurricane Juan (Atlantic Woodworkers Association). He enjoyed geneology, tracing his roots back to Sir William Hales Hingston, an organist in the court of Cromwell. His grandchildren will be ever afflicted by his humor, such as: “I like bananas ‘cause they’ve got no bones”

While troubled with coronary disease as a young man, his longevity can be attributed to tremendous improvements in lifestyle and expert coronary bypass grafts from Dr. Jim Parrott, which lasted 36 years. Visitation will be held at A. L. Mattatall Funeral Home, 217 Portland St Dartmouth on Thursday, June 18, 2015 from 6-8pm. A memorial service will be held at A. L. Mattatall Funeral Home on Friday, June 19 at 2:00pm. Internment of ashes will be at Earltown cemetery at a future date. Instead of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.