Arcola – William “Billy” Robert Hamilton, age 80, died peacefully at home, surrounded by his loving family, on August 10, 2022.
Billy (as his momma always called him) was born February 12, 1942 in Savannah to Robert D. and Mildred (DeLoach) Hamilton. He graduated from Robert W. Groves High School in Garden City and was a Georgia Air National Guard veteran.
He lived most of his life in Port Wentworth and was a former organizing volunteer of the Port Wentworth Fire Department with 32 years’ service. Bill (the name by which his wife and everyone else called him) retired as a heavy equipment and hydraulic mechanic after 22 years with Savannah Electric & Power Company. Prior to Savannah Electric, he worked for 21 years as an equipment mechanic for Kaiser Agricultural and on the waterfront for the Strachan Shipping and Harrington Shipping Companies.
Bill was a self-taught jack-of-all-trades in many construction and carpentry skills and delighted in his abilities to accomplish just about any building projects to which he put his mind and his hands. He self-contracted and framed and finished two site-built homes in which he and his family thrived the last thirty years of his rich and long life. Billy loved the water, particularly tidal saltwater, and enjoyed fishing, especially trolling for speckled trout on the coldest frosty days of the year, as well as flounder gigging, crabbing and trawling for shrimp.
His lifelong love for all things saltwater was spawned at Bailey’s Landing on the Okatee River, weaved through Calibogue Sound and Broad Creek and nurtured in the Savannah River tributaries. Bill was also an avid flatwoods hunter and skilled in taking his share of rabbit, squirrel, quail and dove. He was a strong advocate of the Second Amendment and a firm believer that gun-control was the ability to hit the intended target. He was adamant about teaching children early and thoroughly how to handle and use firearms and the effectiveness of skilled marksmanship.
Bill was taught early and well to love the Lord and to trust His Word. Over the years, he grew mightily in both his love and trust of the Lord. Brother Bill was a vital and faithful member of Upper Black Creek Primitive Baptist Church. Surviving are his adoring wife of 58 years, Barbara Ann “Bobbie Ann” (Herndon) Hamilton of Brooklet; one daughter, Tracy Alison Hamilton of Marietta; one son, Elder R. Keith Hamilton (Derisa) of Brooklet; two grandchildren, Katlyn L. Hamilton-McDonald (Jarrod) of Vidalia and R. Carson Hamilton (Regan) of Brooklet; and one sister, Kathy D. Lancaster (Lemuel) of Hilton Head Island.
Visitation will be Saturday, August 13 from 10am-12pm at Upper Black Creek Primitive Baptist Church with the funeral service at 12 pm conducted by Elder W. Lee Chambers and Elder J. Lindy Webb Jr. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Pallbearers will be Carson Hamilton, Jarrod McDonald, Eliot Usher, Lemuel Lancaster, Andrew Boyles and Wayne Akins. Family requests in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Upper Black Creek Church Cemetery Fund, c/o Ken McElveen, 348 McElveen K. Rd, Brooklet, Ga 30415 or Red Hill Church 1902 LLC, c/o Lynn B. Lee, 20915 Ga Hwy 46, Pembroke, Ga 31321.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.
