Walter Hamlin

Walter was born 98 years ago, on Aug. 29, 1925, the son of late Dr. Lloyd E. and Mary E. (Anderson) Hamlin in Iron Mountain.

They resided in Kingsford while his dad worked as the Ford Motor Company doctor then moved on to Norway when he was a boy so his dad could work for Penn Mining Company at the Penn Hospital as the mining company doctor.

Andy was a 1943 graduate of Norway High School, where he played football and basketball as a proud Norway Viking. After graduation from high school, he did as many of his friends did, and joined and served his country in the U.S. Navy. Andy served during World War II in the Pacific on Guam as a Pharmacists Mate 3rd Class. He was honorably discharged in 1946.

When he was in elementary school, he met a redhead, Jean E. Warner, who was destined to become his wife. The two began dating as juniors in high school and were married on July 26, 1947, after he returned from WWII.

After they married, they moved to Marquette, where he enrolled at Northern Michigan University. While living in the “Quonset huts,” Jean worked as an R.N. and Andy took classes and played football on the NMU “Wild Cats” college team. He graduated from Northern in 1951 with a degree in industrial arts. Once Andy finished college, he and Jean moved to Downers Grove, Ill. for several years before returning to Norway.

Andy was a true fan of the Norway Vikings and continued to be a huge fan of the Norway Knights. Andy was one of the original members of the Norway Knights Athletic Booster Club and proudly wore the club jacket until it wore out! He was humbled and honored to be named “Fan of the Year” by the Booster Club, many years later, after watching his children and grandchildren play sports for the Knights.

Spending summer months at the family cottage on Lake Louise of the Hamilton Lakes chain was very special to Andy and his family. Many hours on the water in the boats. In the fall and winter Andy with his friends and family spent many deer seasons and other time at their camp in Faithorn – Camp 94.

After retirement, Andy decided to form a Thursday Afternoon “pick-up” bowling league. He didn’t want to go out at night, so with seven or so other retired guys, they began having an informal “league” of whoever wanted to bowl. He was an excellent bowler who had in the past bowled for Towe’s Mobil. Andy golfed with Palm Beach, Vic, and Zak as a member of the Oak Crest Golf Course for many years, scoring a “hole-in-one” on June 28, 1962.

One of his favorite things to do, after retiring, was to have “coffee with guys” every morning at about 8:30 at the Rialto/Mike’s on Main. Andy did this Monday through Friday for about 40 years.

Together with his wife, Jean, they became the proud parents of a son, Michael (Christine) Hamlin of Norway and a daughter, Julie (Thomas) Coombs of Foley, Ala. He treasured the times he spent with his grandchildren, Luke Hamlin of Gaylord, Mich., Nick (Brittanie) Hamlin of Gaylord, Melissa (Derrek) Trevarthen of Iron Mountain, and Robert Andy Coombs of Pensacola, Fla. He and Jean were equally proud of their three great-daughters, Henley and Aubrey Hamlin of Gaylord, and Kiara Sheldon of Green Bay, Wis. and two great-grandsons, Kody Sheldon of Pensacola, and Kaden Sheldon of Iron Mountain. Andy is also survived by his younger brother, Robert Hamlin of Escanaba; his sister-in-law, Nina Hamlin of Appleton, Wis.; and nieces and nephews the Zimmerman kids of Minnesota and the Hamlin girls of Illinois.

Andy was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years Jean on Nov. 21, 2020; his parents, Lloyd and Mary; his stepmother, Berdell; his older brother, John Peter Hamlin; his mother-in-law and father-in-law, Helen (Lesnick) and Ivar Warner; and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Delores (Dolly) and Noel Zimmerman.

Private family services will be held.

The family wishes all memorials would be shared with the Norway Knight Athletic Booster Club, P.O. Box 2, Norway MI 49870. “Go Knights!!”

We would like to thank all his wonderful friends and the care persons who were there for “Dad” until the end.

Interment will be held at the Norway Township Cemetery.

Condolences to the family of Andy may be expressed online at www.ortmanfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements were made with the Ortman Funeral Home in Norway.