Wally Thomas Hamilton, age 74, of Boise, Idaho passed away Thursday, March 4, 2021 after a fierce, but short battle with cancer.
Wally was born February 4, 1947 in Cottonwood, Idaho to Ted D. Hamilton and Marion G. Jones. Wally was raised as an only child in Lewiston, Idaho and graduated from Lewiston High School in 1965. In 1979 he was reunited with his elder brother of nine years, Oscar Baumhoff. Wally married Paula McCormick on May 11, 1968 in Tacoma, WA.
Wally earned a Purple Heart and Bronze Star medal after he was drafted into the Army in 1968 and served in the Vietnam War. He was wounded in Vietnam and spent three months in Okinawa for recuperation. Due to his injuries, he was transferred to Fort Carson, CO for the remainder of his tour.
Wally and Paula lived in Colorado for two years after he was discharged from the Army in 1970 where they learned to love downhill skiing. They both loved Oregon and decided they wanted to settle there where they could be near skiing and water sports. They got a map of the state - closed their eyes and put a finger down to decide where to move in Oregon. It landed on Bend, but due to the small town and recession, they chose Eugene for more job possibilities and it was close enough to Mt. Bachelor.
In February 1976 Wally and Paula welcomed their first daughter, Roxanne, to the family and in March 1978 they welcomed their second daughter, Sharon. Wally was a very proud dad and supportive of his two daughters throughout his life.
In 1979 Wally learned that he had a brother, Oscar Baumhoff, nine years his senior, who lived in Boise, Idaho with his wife Dorothy and their six children; Fred, Anna, Jill, Bruce, Ginger, and Cini. The Baumhoff’s held a family reunion at their homestead in Centerville, Idaho with over 200 people in attendance throughout the weekend.
Wally and Paula moved to Redmond, Oregon in 1982 in order to raise their two daughters in a quiet country town and to be close to Mt. Bachelor. Wally transferred within the Payless Drug Store Company where he was the camera/photo/gun department supervisor. He later went to work for Big R stores in Redmond as shipping and receiving support and subsequently moved to Boise, Idaho in 1995. Wally continued working in shipping/receiving in Boise for Micron and ending his career at Michael’s Furniture Stores, ultimately retiring at the age of 55.
After moving to Idaho, Wally enjoyed dinner with his brother Oscar most evenings and spent weekends in Centerville, Idaho with the Baumhoff family and friends.
Both of his daughters ultimately moved to Idaho, Sharon in 1999 and Roxanne in 2003. Wally became a PROUD Grandpa starting in 2005 with the birth of Lizette Ohlund. In 2007 he was blessed with not one but two more grandkids with the birth of Merrick Ohlund in May and Kylie Watson in September. The “baby” and the last of the grandkids arrived in January 2012 when Kendal Watson was born. His grandkids were the highlight of his life. He never missed a birthday, sporting event, activity, or an opportunity to see and support his grandkids.
He had a penchant for cars – old and new! Wally also like expensive cars, wanting a new Audi every other year. He was always in love with his 1968 Chevelle he bought in Colorado and talked about wanting another one. Later in life he purchased a 1968 Camaro and then a BMW Z4; both of which he loved cruising around in.
Wally loved to drive and travel by car and had visited 44 of the 50 states. He took a cross country trip with his brother Oscar following the Lewis & Clark Trail and also took a solo road trip to Alaska in recent years. Wally prided himself in knowing every mile marker, turn in the road, and how to avoid each and every pothole along the way.
He also enjoyed traveling with his family taking his young daughters to Yellowstone, a rafting trip down the Owyhee River in 1991, skiing vacation in Utah in 1993, and Reno and Las Vegas to celebrate their 21st birthdays in style. He also recently enjoyed two family vacations to Hawaii in 2016 and 2018 where he enjoyed spending time in paradise with his grandkids and enjoying Lilikoi margaritas.
After a trip to Europe in 1993 with his friend Noel Eriksen, Wally developed a love of beer, more specifically Hefeweizen. He enjoyed going to breweries and sampling beer and would often drive to Wallace, Idaho to get a growler full of his favorite, raspberry wheat.
Wally will be remembered for his love of his kids and grandkids, willingness to help his family and friends, his love of having FUN – whether that was driving fast, breaking rules (if he could get away with it), his love of beer, card-playing acumen and his competitive nature.
Wally is survived by his two daughters, Roxanne (Jerry) Ohlund and Sharon Hamilton; four grandchildren, Lizette Ohlund (16), Merrick Ohlund (13), Kylie Watson (13), and Kendal Watson (9); and his former wife, Paula Bowman, all of Meridian, Idaho. He is also survived by two nephews, Fred and Bruce Baumhoff, and four nieces, Anna Baumhoff, Jill Nebeker, Ginger Thomas, and Cini Baumhoff. Wally is preceded in death by his brother, Oscar Baumhoff.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by Cloverdale Funeral Home with a viewing on Sunday, March 14th from 2:00 – 4:00 PM at Cloverdale Funeral Home, funeral service on Monday, March 15th at 11:00 AM at Meridian Friends Church, and a graveside committal at 3:00 PM at Idaho State Veterans Cemetery.