LAURIE HAMILTON Obituary

Laurie Kathryn Hamilton passed away on Saturday, August 3rd, 2013, in Kennewick, WA, after a long struggle with the ravages of diabetes.

She was born the youngest of three sisters on August 25, 1953, to William and Flora Joyce in Spokane, WA. She grew up in Spokane attending high school and obtaining both master's and AA degrees from two seperate colleges. She worked for a short time in Auburn, WA, and in San Francisco, CA, before settling down in Kennewick, WA, where she worked for many years as a medical records coder at both Kennewick General and Prosser Memorial Hospitals before her disability forced her retirement.

Laurie met her soul mate and loving husband, John, in Kennewick and was married on March 6th, 1992, in Lewiston, ID.

Laurie loved all things about the outdoors. She was especially fond of fishing, whether it be for stocked trout at the Tucannon lakes, giant sturgeon on the Hanford Reach, or salmon or halibut fishing at Westport. She loved hiking the Blue Mountains in the spring in search of morel mushrooms and camping with her girlfriends in the middle of winter. She adored animals, especially wildlife, and was always thrilled to see the baby deer or elk with their mothers.

Laurie was preceded in death by her father, William. She is survived by her husband of 21 years, John; her mother Flora Joyce; Sisters, Rita Joyce-Stinger (Michael), Linda Chamberlain (Garry); nephews, Michael and Brian Stinger; nieces, Christa Woods and Kelly McCullough (Mark); great niece Hannah Hendrickson, great nephew Joseph McCullough, and "Bandit," her four legged furry "son."

The family will gather together for a private memorial service. A celebration of Laurie's life will be held at her home in Kennewick for all her friends and people who knew her on Sunday, August 25, 2013. Laurie will be truly missed by everyone who knew her but we can take comfort in knowing that she is finally pain free and at that great trout lake in the heavens fishing with her dad and "limiting out" every day.