Heather Anne HAMILTON

HEATHER ANN HAMILTON (nee Martyn) December 13, 1939 - October 30, 2018 It is with sadness and relief, that we announce the passing of Heather after courageously dealing with Alzheimer's Disease for more than 5 years. Wife of 57 years to Bob. Mom to Jill Beemer (John), Mike Hamilton (Angie), and Julie McDougall (John). Very proud 'Nana Ham' to Mackenzie, Maddie, Jennifer, Malcolm, Holly, Kate, Annie, and Bobby. Heather was predeceased by her father, Eric Martyn and her mother, Edna Martyn (nee Locke). She is survived by her favourite Aunt Edith (96) of Victoria, BC who has missed their regular correspondence over the past several years. Heather was born on December 13, 1939 in Toronto where she spent her early childhood. After her father was transferred by Ontario Hydro, the family moved to Port Arthur, and Heather always referred happily to her high school years where she had close friends, did well academically, and was an accomplished figure skater. After graduating from Port Arthur Collegiate Institute, she travelled to Toronto where she trained to be a Registered Nurse at the Toronto Western Hospital. Her strong sense of identity as a nurse continued throughout her lifetime, including her most recent time in memory and long-term care. While Heather was in training in Toronto, the many Martyns stepped in to keep a close eye on the young woman so far from home. Heather was always proud to be a Martyn. After marrying, Heather and Bob settled in Oakville where they enjoyed a busy and vibrant social and family life, raising children, sailing, and skiing at Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood. In 1995, Bob and Heather retired to Thornbury (and later Collingwood) where they again immersed themselves in the local communities and enjoyed an active lifestyle and wonderful friends. Heather's great joy was her grandchildren, and she is loved and missed by them. Her dogs were one of her other loves and most recently Maggie and then Rufus gave her tremendous happiness. Heather often mentioned how much she missed out by not having a sibling. It is with tremendous gratitude that Jill, Mike and Julie acknowledge the great gift Mom gave us in that respect. We derive tremendous love, friendship, and support from each other well into our adult lives and we have Mom to thank for that. We would like to thank the extremely kind staff at The Memory Wing of Georgian Traditions in Collingwood, and the Brule Long Term Care Wing at Schlegel Village of Humber Heights in Etobicoke. We are in awe of the kindness and respect that the caregivers displayed to Mom every day, year after year. Heather is being cremated. We invite family, friends and neighbours to a reception in Heather's honour on Saturday, December 8th, from 3 to 6 pm at Alpine Ski Club in Collingwood. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Schlegel Research Institute for Aging at the University of Waterloo (https://the-ria.ca/), or Sleeping Children around the World (www.scaw.org) would be greatly appreciated.