Francis Donald "Don" Hamre

Frances Donald (Don) Hamre age 92 passed away at home from complications of Dementia. Don was born in Brooklyn, NY moved to Johnstown, PA where he graduated from high school. He attended Bucknell University where his education was interrupted by WWII at which time he enlisted in the Navy. He served in the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. At the end of the war he decommissioned his ship in Seatle where he met the love of his life Jody Hawkins. Don went back to Bucknell University and graduated in 1948. He was captain of his basketball team and a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He and Jody married in 1949. His employer, Armstrong Cork, transferred him to Birmingham in 1949. He and Jody fell in love with the area and raised their four children there. Preceding him in death were his father Frank Wallace Hamre, mother Mary Doody Hamre, his wife of 58 years Jody Hawkins Hamre. He is survived by his children Mary Jo Hamre, Susan Hamre Noll (Chris), Dod Hamre (Judy) Chris Hamre (Cindi) grandchildren Christian Noll IV (Leah), Elizabeth Noll, Francis Donald (Trey) Hamre III, Amie Sovitski (Matt) and Ram Stevens, great grand children Christian Noll V and Margaret Noll. Don served on many community and charitable boards among those being The Girls Club, March of Dimes, Monday Morning Quarter Back Club and Birmingham Rotary Club. Don served as President of the Country Club of Birmingham in 1979 and was an avid golfer. Don was CEO of Automatic Food Services/Canteen. He began his career in vending in the early 1950’s. He and his partners John and Harry DeBuys sold Automatic Food Service to ARA where he worked until 1984. In 1985 Don and his son Dod bought the business from ARA and founded Automatic Food Service. The family would like to give a very special thank you to Sandy and John Rivers and Sandra Gamble who gave Don loving care and attention the last year of his life. Funeral services will be at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Birmingham, AL, Tuesday, October 20, 2015 at 1:00P.M. A celebration of his life will be at the Country Club of Birmingham immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers the family wishes donations to be made to the Alzheimers Foundation or the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.