Mary Lou Hamilton
January 26, 1938 - April 20, 2022
Mary Lou Hamilton (Schmidt), 84 of Atoka, Tennessee, passed away on the morning of April 20, 2022, in Millington, TN., after a long battle with kidney disease. Mary Lou was born on January 20, 1938, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Richard Lee and Lou Jane (Martin) Schmidt. She was raised in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from Topeka High, she attended Washburn University and the University of Kansas becoming a lifelong supporter of Kansas Basketball. She was delighted to watch Kansas beat those Tar Heels and win another national championship this year.
Her first husband was Charles L. Heard with whom she had three children.
Mary Lou married William D. "Bill" Hamilton in Las Vegas on February 5, 1982. He survives her at their home in Atoka, TN. During their 40 years together, they traveled extensively for both work and pleasure. She visited every state (except Hawaii), Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungry, and Mexico to name a few. She lived in Missouri, Kansas (4), Indiana, Texas, Florida (2), Oklahoma (3), Arizona (8), New York (2), California (4), and Tennessee. She complained to her friend, Mike, in Roseville, California, that she had no roots – he gave her a jar full of roots that she treasured and carried with her for the last 30 years.
Above all else, Mary Lou loved her family. The highlight of her day was visiting with one of her children or grandchildren on the phone. She was an outstanding cook and would spend hours in the kitchen preparing an evening meal. She used recipes as a guide – but always added or changed a few things to make the dish something special. During her last few weeks in the nursing home, she watched the food channel and wrote down recipes she planned to cook for her husband when she came home.
Mary Lou was a long-time member of a 12-Step Fellowship with continuous sobriety from February 16, 1977, until her passing. During those 45 years she reached out to scores of young women and a few men showing them, by the power of her example, how to obtain lasting sobriety and profoundly change their own lives. She leaves behind a cadre of women scattered across the country from New York to California to carry on her mission and she will be forever missed by all those whose lives she has touched along the way.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents and her lifelong friend of 83 years, Melissa Griffin.
Survivors include her husband, Bill; sons, Charles L. Heard, Jr. (Elke), Richard M. Heard (Leslie); daughter Melissa J. Ward (Wade); grandchildren, Caroline Whittaker (Travis), Garrett Ward, Charles L. Heard, III, Melissa Heard, Sam Ward (Hannah), and Brooks Heard.
Mary Lou was and will always be the love of Bill's life.
Graveside Services and Inurnment 4:00 P.M. Sunday, May 22, Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.
January 26, 1938 - April 20, 2022
Mary Lou Hamilton (Schmidt), 84 of Atoka, Tennessee, passed away on the morning of April 20, 2022, in Millington, TN., after a long battle with kidney disease. Mary Lou was born on January 20, 1938, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Richard Lee and Lou Jane (Martin) Schmidt. She was raised in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from Topeka High, she attended Washburn University and the University of Kansas becoming a lifelong supporter of Kansas Basketball. She was delighted to watch Kansas beat those Tar Heels and win another national championship this year.
Her first husband was Charles L. Heard with whom she had three children.
Mary Lou married William D. "Bill" Hamilton in Las Vegas on February 5, 1982. He survives her at their home in Atoka, TN. During their 40 years together, they traveled extensively for both work and pleasure. She visited every state (except Hawaii), Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungry, and Mexico to name a few. She lived in Missouri, Kansas (4), Indiana, Texas, Florida (2), Oklahoma (3), Arizona (8), New York (2), California (4), and Tennessee. She complained to her friend, Mike, in Roseville, California, that she had no roots – he gave her a jar full of roots that she treasured and carried with her for the last 30 years.
Above all else, Mary Lou loved her family. The highlight of her day was visiting with one of her children or grandchildren on the phone. She was an outstanding cook and would spend hours in the kitchen preparing an evening meal. She used recipes as a guide – but always added or changed a few things to make the dish something special. During her last few weeks in the nursing home, she watched the food channel and wrote down recipes she planned to cook for her husband when she came home.
Mary Lou was a long-time member of a 12-Step Fellowship with continuous sobriety from February 16, 1977, until her passing. During those 45 years she reached out to scores of young women and a few men showing them, by the power of her example, how to obtain lasting sobriety and profoundly change their own lives. She leaves behind a cadre of women scattered across the country from New York to California to carry on her mission and she will be forever missed by all those whose lives she has touched along the way.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents and her lifelong friend of 83 years, Melissa Griffin.
Survivors include her husband, Bill; sons, Charles L. Heard, Jr. (Elke), Richard M. Heard (Leslie); daughter Melissa J. Ward (Wade); grandchildren, Caroline Whittaker (Travis), Garrett Ward, Charles L. Heard, III, Melissa Heard, Sam Ward (Hannah), and Brooks Heard.
Mary Lou was and will always be the love of Bill's life.
Graveside Services and Inurnment 4:00 P.M. Sunday, May 22, Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.
Mary Lou Hamilton
January 26, 1938 - April 20, 2022
Mary Lou Hamilton (Schmidt), 84 of Atoka, Tennessee, passed away on the morning of April 20, 2022, in Millington, TN., after a long battle with kidney disease. Mary Lou was born on January 20, 1938, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Richard Lee and Lou Jane (Martin) Schmidt. She was raised in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from Topeka High, she attended Washburn University and the University of Kansas becoming a lifelong supporter of Kansas Basketball. She was delighted to watch Kansas beat those Tar Heels and win another national championship this year.
Her first husband was Charles L. Heard with whom she had three children.
Mary Lou married William D. "Bill" Hamilton in Las Vegas on February 5, 1982. He survives her at their home in Atoka, TN. During their 40 years together, they traveled extensively for both work and pleasure. She visited every state (except Hawaii), Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungry, and Mexico to name a few. She lived in Missouri, Kansas (4), Indiana, Texas, Florida (2), Oklahoma (3), Arizona (8), New York (2), California (4), and Tennessee. She complained to her friend, Mike, in Roseville, California, that she had no roots – he gave her a jar full of roots that she treasured and carried with her for the last 30 years.
Above all else, Mary Lou loved her family. The highlight of her day was visiting with one of her children or grandchildren on the phone. She was an outstanding cook and would spend hours in the kitchen preparing an evening meal. She used recipes as a guide – but always added or changed a few things to make the dish something special. During her last few weeks in the nursing home, she watched the food channel and wrote down recipes she planned to cook for her husband when she came home.
Mary Lou was a long-time member of a 12-Step Fellowship with continuous sobriety from February 16, 1977, until her passing. During those 45 years she reached out to scores of young women and a few men showing them, by the power of her example, how to obtain lasting sobriety and profoundly change their own lives. She leaves behind a cadre of women scattered across the country from New York to California to carry on her mission and she will be forever missed by all those whose lives she has touched along the way.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents and her lifelong friend of 83 years, Melissa Griffin.
Survivors include her husband, Bill; sons, Charles L. Heard, Jr. (Elke), Richard M. Heard (Leslie); daughter Melissa J. Ward (Wade); grandchildren, Caroline Whittaker (Travis), Garrett Ward, Charles L. Heard, III, Melissa Heard, Sam Ward (Hannah), and Brooks Heard.
Mary Lou was and will always be the love of Bill's life.
Graveside Services and Inurnment 4:00 P.M. Sunday, May 22, Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.
January 26, 1938 - April 20, 2022
Mary Lou Hamilton (Schmidt), 84 of Atoka, Tennessee, passed away on the morning of April 20, 2022, in Millington, TN., after a long battle with kidney disease. Mary Lou was born on January 20, 1938, in St. Joseph, Missouri, to Richard Lee and Lou Jane (Martin) Schmidt. She was raised in Topeka, Kansas. After graduating from Topeka High, she attended Washburn University and the University of Kansas becoming a lifelong supporter of Kansas Basketball. She was delighted to watch Kansas beat those Tar Heels and win another national championship this year.
Her first husband was Charles L. Heard with whom she had three children.
Mary Lou married William D. "Bill" Hamilton in Las Vegas on February 5, 1982. He survives her at their home in Atoka, TN. During their 40 years together, they traveled extensively for both work and pleasure. She visited every state (except Hawaii), Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Hungry, and Mexico to name a few. She lived in Missouri, Kansas (4), Indiana, Texas, Florida (2), Oklahoma (3), Arizona (8), New York (2), California (4), and Tennessee. She complained to her friend, Mike, in Roseville, California, that she had no roots – he gave her a jar full of roots that she treasured and carried with her for the last 30 years.
Above all else, Mary Lou loved her family. The highlight of her day was visiting with one of her children or grandchildren on the phone. She was an outstanding cook and would spend hours in the kitchen preparing an evening meal. She used recipes as a guide – but always added or changed a few things to make the dish something special. During her last few weeks in the nursing home, she watched the food channel and wrote down recipes she planned to cook for her husband when she came home.
Mary Lou was a long-time member of a 12-Step Fellowship with continuous sobriety from February 16, 1977, until her passing. During those 45 years she reached out to scores of young women and a few men showing them, by the power of her example, how to obtain lasting sobriety and profoundly change their own lives. She leaves behind a cadre of women scattered across the country from New York to California to carry on her mission and she will be forever missed by all those whose lives she has touched along the way.
Mary Lou was preceded in death by her parents and her lifelong friend of 83 years, Melissa Griffin.
Survivors include her husband, Bill; sons, Charles L. Heard, Jr. (Elke), Richard M. Heard (Leslie); daughter Melissa J. Ward (Wade); grandchildren, Caroline Whittaker (Travis), Garrett Ward, Charles L. Heard, III, Melissa Heard, Sam Ward (Hannah), and Brooks Heard.
Mary Lou was and will always be the love of Bill's life.
Graveside Services and Inurnment 4:00 P.M. Sunday, May 22, Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will gather with friends one hour prior to the service, Meierhoffer Funeral Home & Crematory. Online guest book and obituary at www.meierhoffer.com.
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