Cameron Hamilton

Cameron Hamilton was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this man was an outstanding luminary and that his natural abilities served him well. He knew with certainty how he wanted to set priorities in all aspects of his life. He struck those who knew him as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what he expected from his day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Cameron was a man who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Cameron would set about immediately to create it.

       His parents were Doug and Daryl Hamilton. Cameron was brought up to be reasonable in his actions and was taught to use his intellect wisely. He was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced his self-confidence. Even at a young age, Cameron was credited with having a positive influence on those around him.

      The positive atmosphere that Cameron generated spread to his family. Cameron had one twin brother Chris. Cameron served as a catalyst within the family. He often found himself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Cameron was able to demonstrate his uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

      Cameron's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to his exhibiting leadership qualities early on in his childhood. He liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, he was willing to experiment with different approaches as he worked a plan towards a solution. As a young boy, he took part in lacrosse, soccer, Judo, baseball and skiing. In his spare time he liked collecting baseball cards and comic books. Cameron's memorable achievements included his lacross team winning 2nd place at Nationals at the age of 11.

      When it came to academics and school, Cameron's organizational skills reaped dividends. Cameron was able to create a system for getting his class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze his schoolwork and assignments, he could apply a practical, common sense approach completing his studies. He showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which he tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge his own reasoning ability in finding solutions. He graduated from E. P. Scarlett High School in 1984. He enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. His favorite class in high school was English. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. White, 12th grade English. He was awarded a varsity letter for writing.

      The work habits and approaches to studying that Cameron utilized in high school also served him well in college. Cameron always seemed on a quest for knowledge. He was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for his classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Cameron was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. He earned his Bacholer's of Commerce from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. His favorite courses were anything marketing related. He won a national marketing competition for Levi's and was flown to Toronto from Halifax to participate in a fashion show. He switched from Accounting to Marketing.

      As Cameron knew in other aspects of his life, he had a clear vision of what he sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. Annette was a significant part of his life, and it wasn’t necessary for Cameron to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Cameron's secret to success was that he always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

      Family and children were important to Cameron, even if he didn’t always show it. Cameron was blessed with two children, Laval Perry Hamilton and Evan Brody Hamilton. Cameron was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as he did at work. Cameron rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, he was subtle and patient in his dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

      At work Cameron was viewed as a natural leader. He could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. He was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Cameron was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. He was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Cameron might have been described by some as an overachiever, he was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. His primary occupation was as the new development business manager. He was employed for 3 years at Ameresco and 24 years in the energy efficiency industry.

      Not only did Cameron find pleasure in pursuing his various hobbies, he also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. His skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. He loved movies and animation.

      No matter what the activity was, Cameron had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced his participation in sports, too. He sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and he stayed cool and calm under pressure. He relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. In high school, Cameron played lacrosse. Recreational sports included golf and fishing. He was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list was hockey with any Canadian team.

      Cameron's ability to motivate, direct and organize others made him a valuable asset to the organizations to which he contributed during his lifetime. Cameron was one who could be counted on to work hard to implement goals and required little to begin work on a specific task. Once a project was begun, Cameron had a definite methodology for seeing it through to completion. In high school, Cameron was a member of the student council. Throughout his later years, Cameron was a pioneer of the energy efficiency industry in Washington and Oregon States.

      Cameron was a man who took pride in upholding his beliefs. When he became active in community affairs, he did so in the same determined and forthright manner that he applied to other aspects of his life, serving on committees for the Oregon Forest Biomass Working Group, Oregon Biomass Heating Assoc., and board member for the Grant MacEwan Community College Foundation in Edmonton, AB from 1995-1998.

      Cameron lived his life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. His faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. He was a member of the St. Agatha Catholic Church for 3 years.

      There were occasions in Cameron's life where he would find himself involved in a cause or leading an organization and event where his drive to complete the project or meet the established goal was more important than his concern for the philosophy behind it. It was this kind of commitment and drive that earned him praise and honors throughout his life. He was awarded the first ever Oregon Sustainable Energy Project of the year from Oregon Department of Energy.

      Cameron passed away on May 29, 2015 at Hopewell House in Portland, Oregon. Cameron fought a brave battle against cancer. He is survived by his wife Annette, daughter Laval, son Evan, parents Doug and Daryl Hamilton, and brother Chris. Services were held at St. Agatha Cathilic Church. Cameron's ashes will be scattered at his favorite location.

      Cameron Hamilton knew what he wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. He could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Cameron was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. He was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If he saw that something needed to be done, he was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.