Steven C. Hamilton

                                   April 21, 1944   to  February 2, 2009

 

 Thank you for this opportunity to speak to my brother Steven's classmates from high school. Many of his high school friends have remained his life long friends. He loved getting together with them as often as he could. He went to school in South Gate from k. through high school. He started to Victoria Ave. School. Then on to Jr. High and then he was a proud alumni of the South Gate High School. Summer of 1962 class. Victoria Ave was a long trek for the shy quiet little boy, who lived on San Miguel Ave.

He also made life long friends at the American Baptist Church, where the pastor Dr. Paul Kopp was his good friend and mentor. He loved his church family very much.

Our Father developed lead poisoning from his work at General Motors and spent about 10 years in Camarillo State Hospital. He was never able to work again. Our Mother had to go to work at Firestone where she made fuel cells for airplanes. She later worked at Weiser Lock Co. Steven took a paper route for three years and delivered the Examiner. He was always working at something and while his first year At Wheaten Ill. was paid for by the Church he eventually educated himself by doing a series of odd jobs while getting in a class now and then.  His 2nd year at college was at Berkeley Ca. where he took part in the free speech movement and the anti war protest. He had a loud voice speaking out against the Vietnam war and he was also opposed to the war in Iraq.

I believe hearing about our Father getting shock treatments for his mental condition was the determining factor in the choice of his profession. He became a psychologist and worked in the mental health field until he retired last June He moved to Kentucky to be closer to us as we have moved near Rogers Arkansas and we have other relatives in Eastern Ar. Missouri and Oklahoma. I warned him he would not like the cold winters

and after a few months he decided I was right and was looking forward to moving back to California in the spring..

I must say that he was also a strong advocate for equal and civil rights. I believe that also started when his mother had to work for much less than her male counterparts.

He married a beautiful young woman briefly but they had not known each other very long and soon decided their marriage was a mistake. He had no children but would have been a great father. He was a wonderful great uncle to my 14 year old grandson. Steven and I were the only two children that our parents Pauline and Charles Hamilton had. So he only leaves behind myself, my son Craig, my daughter Cynthia and her son John.

So I will echo what an old friend of his and his tax accountant said while having his taxes counted.  He sat back in his chair and looked across his desk as though I was not in the room and he talked directly to Steven. He said "Oh, Steven, Steven, I was proud to call you my friend, I loved you man, and I will always miss you".