Dennis was the third out of 11 children born to Eugene Cremer Hamilton, Sr. and Rosemary Cronan Hamilton. Honor student, athlete, and class clown were just some of the hats he wore in his formative years growing up in his beloved hometown of Kinder, LA.
After graduation from high school he continued his athletic career on the Northeast Louisiana University Indians football team. It was at NLU in Zoology class where he met the love of his life, best friend for life and soul mate, Elizabeth “Beth” Marie Morgan. Seeing a clear path to a lifetime of love and devotion in his future, he successfully obtained a BS degree in Pharmacy. He was a lifelong retail pharmacist, loved his career, and the many wonderful people he met along the way. He never met a stranger, and he could find something in common with just about anyone he encountered.
He worked for various different pharmacies, but thoroughly enjoyed working for locally-owned pharmacies during the last years of his career, especially Reagan’s Pharmacy in Minden, LA and Mabile’s Pharmacy in Coushatta, LA. These last years were the most precious in his career, as he was affectionately known as “Papa Bear” or “D” to many of his coworkers. He was known to help out customers in his community by personally delivering their medications free of charge if they were unable to leave their homes.
In the last decade of his life, he reconnected with the catholic church of his youth. He loved his close-knit church family at Blessed Sacrament Church in Ringgold. This spiritual circle of friends became like family to him. Their love helped him keep the faith and further his commitment by becoming an ACTS retreat counselor and eucharistic minister. He also accompanied the priest once a month in a prison ministry.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Eugene Cremer Hamilton, Sr. and Rosemary Cronan Hamilton and two brothers, Mike Hamilton and Richard Hamilton. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Elizabeth Marie Hamilton of Ringgold, LA; a son, Eric Blaine Hamilton and wife A’Lisa of Bossier City; a daughter Jennifer Renee Forshag and husband, Jim of Youngsville, LA; siblings: Eugene Cremer Hamilton Jr. (Kelly) of Groves, TX, Agnes Carter (John) of Liberty, TX, Pat Hamilton (Mandy) of Sulphur, LA, Mary Jane Colson (Jeff) of League City, TX, Margaret Spears of Brazoria, TX, Danny Hamilton (Jennifer) of Spring, TX; Mark Elias Hamilton (Melissa) of Lake Charles, LA, and Martha Langley (Rock LeBas) of Opelousas, LA; “Pappy’s” pride and joy his six grandchildren: James Russell Forshag, Haley Elizabeth Hamilton, Jacob Ryan Forshag, Annah Peyton Hamilton, Jillian Rose Forshag, and Kara Landry Hamilton; and a multitude of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, and great grand nephews.
Pallbearers will be his brothers Cremer Hamilton, Pat Hamilton, Danny Hamilton, Mark Hamilton, and nephews Daniel Hamilton and Michael Hamilton.
Services in his honor will begin Thursday, February 9, with a Visitation at 5:00, until Rosary at 7:00. Then, Funeral and Committal Services on Friday, February 10, with the Funeral at 10 and the Interment at 11, each with Ftr. Joseph Kallookalam, presiding. Each of these are being hosted within Hill Crest Memorial in Haughton, LA.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Blessed Sacrament, c/o St. Paul Catholic Church, P.O. Box 799, Minden, LA 71058-0799.
