Judith Dianne Hamilton, “Dianne,” 76, of Soldotna, AK, died unexpectedly on Friday, Oct. 28 , 2022.
There are no services at this time. Litchfield Family Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hamilton was born and raised in Vancouver BC, Canada, but has called Alaska home since 1968. She was born Dec. 29 , 1945, the daughter of the late Thomas and Grace (Hull) Collishaw.
She was very active in Job’s Daughters International as Honored Queen and later Worthy Matron in Eastern Star. When she graduated from high school, she worked at a lumber brokerage firm. She always wanted to see the world and began taking trips with her friends to various places. She went to the Hawaiian Islands and toured a local sawmill. She impressed the owner with her vast knowledge, so much so that he offered her a job. She got her green card and work visa, and moved to Oahu, HI.
In Oahu she met the love of her life, Lawrence “Larry” E. Hamilton, a young American soldier from Litchfield, who could not resist her big brown eyes, and for them both, it was love at first sight. They were engaged after only two short weeks and then he was off to war. Shortly after he returned from Vietnam, they were married on March 25, 1967. They ended up being stationed in Fort Richardson, AK. Both fell in love with “the last frontier,” deciding to stay a while and raise their family, until 1977, when they decided to return to Illinois. After surviving her battle with breast cancer, they packed up the family and moved back to Alaska in 1982. Traveling 3700 miles from Illinois to Alaska with her two small children, she made the trip enjoyable and something the girls have always remembered. On that trip just some of the adventures included Mt Rushmore, Reptile Gardens, and Wall Drug. She also took them to the 1986 Worlds Fair in Vancouver BC.
She returned to work at Enstar Natural Gas Co. as a marketing representative until her retirement in 2001. She was heavily involved with the Alaska Home Builders Association enjoying her work with all the building contractors. Both enjoyed the retired life, traveling between Alaska, Arizona, and Illinois. They built an adorable cabin in the community of Funny River, located in Soldotna, AK. They both enjoyed golfing which led them to work at the Byrd Homestead Golf Course together while spending their summers enjoying the midnight sun.
Mrs. Hamilton was a very strong, caring, vibrant, and classy lady who loved to laugh and enjoy listening to her husband’s many stories around the campfire.
In addition to her loving husband of 55 years, she is survived by her daughters, Dawn McQuay and Laurie (Tom) Stoner, both in Alaska; granddaughter, Macy, in Alaska; brothers, Raymond Collishaw of Port Kells Surrey BC, Canada, and brother and sister-in-law Paul and Kris Plopper, Surprise, AZ; and several nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made in Dianne Hamilton’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association. To view the online guest book, leave a condolence or light a virutal candle, visit litchfieldffs.com.
