Raymond Hamilton Obituary, Death – On Wednesday, November 16, 2022, Raymond C. Hamilton, Jr. passed away in the comfort of his home in Kennewick. He was in his eightieth year. His wife, Diane J. Hamilton, their two daughters, Kimberly Ann Hamilton Mendoza and Dr. Kelly Rae Hamilton (married to Paul), their seven grandchildren, Michael (married to Julieanne), Eric (married to Natasha), Raymond (married to Lisa), Shyann (married to Nico), Darryl, Joseph Curtis, and Sarah Mae, and his 21 great-grandchildren will always remember him as a devoted and loyal family man.
Ray was a proud veteran of the United States Marine Corps, where he served for 22 years before retiring as a First Sergeant. He was deployed to Vietnam on three separate occasions. Three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, and a Bronze Star with a Star were awarded to him in recognition of his bravery.
After spending the previous 18 years working for California Edison at the San Onofre Nuclear Facility, he went on to become an independent nuclear mechanical engineer contractor and remained in that role until his retirement in 2012. Together with Diane, he embarked on an extensive journey across the United States and Canada.
Ray was an influential person who served as a leader and mentor to many people and had an impact on their lives. In spite of the high regard in which he was held for his professional accomplishments, he considered the fact that he had been married to the woman he had loved all his life to be his proudest accomplishment. The profound love and dedication that Ray and Diane had for one another not only survived some of life’s toughest tests, but it also remains strong after Ray passed away.
Ray held a profound adoration and reverence for the natural world, as well as a strong affection for all kinds of animals. Ray and Diane spent their entire married life together constructing a stunning farm in Kennewick, where they devoted themselves to the protection, care, and love of disadvantaged animals as well as the cultivation of the surrounding land. Ray was never able to ignore injured, ill, lost, hungry, or scared animals of any kind, and over the course of their lives together, Ray and Diane quietly invested thousands of hours and dollars into the care of animals. Every single day, we will honor his memory by remembering the generous investments that he made in the lives of people, animals, and the country.