Mr. Frederick Earl Hamilton

Mr. Frederick Earl Hamilton died on August 11, 2006. Arrangements under the direction of Markey-Dermody Funeral Home in Hamilton, ON.Fred was born into humble beginnings on a small farm in Ancaster, Ontario just outside of Hamilton. Because he was needed to support his family, Fred was unable to further his education beyond elementary school and soon found himself in the work force at an early age. He was first employed at the Dominion Glass Company during the war years where he met the love of his life, Dolores. After a two-year courtship, Fred and Dolores were married on August 23, 1947. They were soon blessed with a daughter Lynn, and a son Fred Jr. who in turn gave them six grandchildren, Lisa, Dana, Adam, Olivia, Mya and Alicia; then came four great-grandchildren, Emma, Hannah, Isabella and Kaya.Fred began playing football on the sandlots of Hamilton beginning with the Mahony Bears in 1946; then Hamilton Wildcat Juniors in 1947 and subsequently, winners of the Junior Dominion Championship in 1948. He then went on to the intermediate level with the Dundas Blue Bombers in 1949 and 1950 and finally, his last amateur year was with the Hamilton Panthers, the 1951 Dominion Intermediate Champions. The '51 season proved to be one of Fred’s best years and did not go unnoticed. He was voted M.V.P. that year and awarded the Angelo Cicero Memorial Trophy. He then caught the eye of two scouts from the west, Glenn Dobbs (of Dobberville fame) and Ken Charlton, both of the Saskatchewan Roughriders who signed Fred to his first professional contract for the 1952 season in Regina. He remained with the club until mid 1958 when he left the Roughriders and ended his professional football career in Sarnia, Ontario with the 1958 O.R.F.U. Champions, the Sarnia Golden Bears led by his former Saskatchewan Roughrider coach, Frank Filchock.In 1964, Fred went on to a successful 26-year career with Molson Breweries in the Hamilton area. Leaving the company in 1990, he then embarked on a 17-year, fun-filled retirement doing all the things he loved; fishing, hunting, (here and in Ohio) and community volunteering including more than 100 donations of life-giving blood. He was a member of the Dofasco Anglers Club; Golden Horseshoe Club; Salisbury Hunting Club in Wellsville, Ohio (where he made lasting friends); the Saskatchewan Roughrider Alumni; C.F.L. Alumni; The Ti-Cat Alumni and for the past several years hosted the Alumni lounge at Ivor Wynne Stadium, which now bears a plaque in his honour, donated by his many friends and colleagues.Add to his passions, his love for his family; the many festive gatherings around his dinner table; the many summer barbecues around his back-yard pool, and the driving force behind the family unit, his devoted wife of almost 60 years, Dolores, known to all the family as “GG” but especially to Fred as…”Dol”, My Angel!