Julian Wyatt Hamilton

1919 - 2012

Julian Wyatt Hamilton

Julian Hamilton, born on October 30, 1919, died in Tallahassee on Wednesday, November 21, 2012. Julian was born in Hurley, Mississippi and was raised in Pascagoula, the sixth of eight children born to Mary and Stewart Hamilton. Julian attended Mississippi State College for three years before enlisting in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He became a pilot and was assigned to train aviation navigators. After the war, he returned to college to complete his degree and there met Jeanne Baker, the woman who was the love of his life for sixty-five years. Julian and Jeanne were married on December 24, 1946, in West Virginia, Jeanne's home state. In 1947 Julian was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force. His career took him and his family to the island of Guam, then to Alabama, France, Virginia, New Mexico, and the Panama Canal Zone. The family moved to Tallahassee in 1967, when Julian retired from military service. He then worked for Florida State University and later, the State of Florida, primarily in tourism and economic development, until his retirement. Julian and Jeanne raised three children: Ellen, Sharon, and Wyatt. Wyatt died unexpectedly in 1977. Julian is survived by Ellen Hamilton, Sharon Hamilton Scanlan and husband Tom, granddaughters Amy Olk, Mandy Luttenton and husband Blain, and a grandson, Christopher Scanlan, as well as two great-granddaughters, Lauren Meier and Taylor Luttenton. Julian was known for his warm smile and gracious manner, and was a man who put others at ease. He was deeply dedicated to his family and to Jeanne, saying often that marrying her was the best thing he ever did. Jeanne died on February 23, 2012, after providing many years of devoted care to Julian. Since July 2011, Julian lived at Harbor Chase in the Memory Unit. His family is extremely grateful for the exceptional kindness and caring demonstrated by the staff at the facility. Memorial contributions may be made to Big Bend Hospice, or to Trinity United Methodist Church, where Jeanne and Julian were members for over forty years. Julian's life will be celebrated on Sunday, November 25 at 2:00. There will be a graveside service at Roselawn Cemetery on Piedmont Drive in Tallahassee. Following the service will be an informal gathering in the nearby home of a family friend. Bevis Funeral Home (850) 385-2193, www.bevisfh.com, is in charge of the arrangements.