Wayne Hamilton

August 20, 1928 – July 9, 2020

Wayne Hamilton, 1928 – 2020, was born to Len and Neva Hamilton in Caplinger Mills, MO.

Wayne grew up on a farm near El Dorado Springs, Missouri and attended Stockton High School where he played basketball. After graduation, he began working on a farm. At 20 years old, he moved to Kansas City and started working for Missouri Pacific Railroad which later became Union Pacific. Wayne was a lineman and electrician for 42 years until he retired at the age of 62. He also served as the President & Treasurer for the (IBEW) International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. He was proud of his union responsibilities and the work he did for the railroad.

On April 8, 1961, Wayne married Juanita. The couple had two daughters, Kim and Kipp. In his spare time, Wayne enjoyed tinkering around the house and fixing things in his basement workshop. Wayne was the original Mr. Fix It. He was known for his ability to improvise when building or securing items around the house. He also enjoyed listening to the Kansas City Royals baseball games on his transistor radio while sitting on their patio. Every weekend, he liked to cook steaks on the grill. On holidays, he grilled BBQ chicken.

After his retirement, Juanita and Wayne loved to play board games together and with their grandchildren. Wayne was known for his competitive spirit. He was an avid gardener. Each year, the size of his garden would grow larger until fresh vegetables like tomatoes, squash, green onions, okra and lettuce was over-flowing. Family, neighbors, and church members benefited from his surplus of produce. Wayne and Juanita enjoyed traveling in their retirement years. Some of their favorite travels included trips to Hawaii, Europe, Germany and an Alaskan cruise.

Wayne’s greatest legacy will be his love for his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He was a quiet and gentle man who enjoyed a good laugh. He provided a loving and stable home environment for his family. We will miss him dearly, but we are thankful he is with his Heavenly Father and reunited with his beloved wife.

Wayne was proceeded in death by his devoted wife of 56 years, Juanita Hamilton. He was also proceeded by his grandchildren, Kevin Wadas and Sarah Wadas, his brother Calvin Hamilton and sister Wanda Keller. His surviving family members include daughter Kim Hamilton Wadas (Dave) of Kalamazoo Michigan. Grandchildren Jeffrey Wadas, Steven Wadas, Michelle Wadas. Daughter Kipp Hamilton Wilhoit (John) of Independence Missouri. Grandchildren Colson (Kelsie) Wilhoit, Cami (Ron) Duncan, Cayla (Ephraim) McFarland, Kenton Wilhoit. Great grandchildren Jolie Wilhoit, Mason Wilhoit and Elisabeth Duncan. His brother Loy Hamilton and sister Vera Woody.

Visitation will be held Saturday, August 1st at Floral Hills Chapel Cemetery 7000 Blue Ridge Blvd at 10 am followed by a memorial service at 11 am. Due to COVID restrictions, the service is by invitation only.