Finley Morse Hamilton

07/27/1923 - 09/01/2012

Finley Morse Hamilton

(July 27, 1923 - September 1, 2012)

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Finley Morse Hamilton, noted real estate developer and beloved family patriarch, died in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 1, 2012, at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula surrounded by his adoring wife and three daughters. ÊHe was 89 and passed away following a brief struggle with pneumonia.Ê Mr. Hamilton and his wife, Susan, divided their time between Winter Park, Florida, and Carmel, California.

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Well regarded for his business acumen, Mr. Hamilton built and owned for 25 years the first Hilton Hotel franchise in the Orlando area.Ê In 1968, he purchased a parcel of undeveloped land at the closest intersection between Orlando and the then-newly announced Disney resort (the nascent Walt Disney World), where he built the Hilton Inn South.Ê Recognizing that the area would eventually attract travelers from across the globe, he named the main artery through his property "International Drive."Ê His friends, thinking his venture rather premature, affectionately referred to the project as "Finley's Folly," but as Mr. Hamilton predicted, it soon became a thriving tourist mecca, underscoring his remarkable vision and foresight.Ê Mr. Hamilton was a fervent believer in the promise of Florida real estate, in which he invested heavily throughout his career.

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In addition to his business interests, Mr. Hamilton was especially active in civic affairs.Ê He served as president of both the Young Democrats of Orange County and of the Florida Hotel and Motel Association, and on the boards of the local chamber of commerce, the Salvation Army, the Loch Haven Art Center, and the Florida Symphony.Ê Furthermore, he was a founding member of the Citrus Club and a member of the Country Club of Orlando and the University Club in Florida.Ê In California, he was a member of the Old Capital Club.

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Finley Hamilton was born on July 27, 1923, in Pond Creek, Oklahoma, to Henry Clay Hamilton and the former Olive Hougham.Ê He attended the University of Utah for two years before serving in the United States Army Air Force from 1943 to 1946, where he taught marksmanship and radio. ÊIn 1946, Mr. Hamilton married Virginia Hamal, with whom he later had three daughters.Ê After the war, he continued his studies at the University of Utah before graduating from Stetson Law School in Deland, Florida, in 1949.Ê He began practicing law in Orlando in March of that year, but ultimately became involved in residential construction and land development.

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In 1985, Finley married Susan Gluyas (nŽe Shear), whom he had met through mutual friends.Ê Susan was the light of his life and brought him true happiness.Ê They took special pleasure in entertaining and traveling with their many dear friends.Ê With Susan by his side, Mr. Hamilton continued the tradition he had begun in 1965 of taking his daughters and sister on an annual summer vacation.Ê As his daughters married and their respective families grew over the years, so did the number of trip participants.Ê Thirty-four members of the Hamilton clan attended the last such get-together, which occurred in July 2011.

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Mr. Hamilton was known as much for his extraordinary generosity, uncommon intelligence, and steadfast integrity as he was for his wry wit, contagious smile, and that mischievous twinkle in his eye.Ê He had a particularly profound impact on the lives of his grandchildren, who looked to him as an enduring source of wisdom and guidance.Ê A voracious reader, he was never one to mince words, and wherever he went in the world, he was always on the lookout for additions to his sizeable hat collection.Ê

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Besides his wife and best friend, Susan, Mr. Hamilton is survived by his three daughters, Jane (Morris) Linton and Marilyn (Kim) Peterson of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Joyce (Kelley) Ivancovich of Porterville, California; 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren; a sister, Donna Rankin, of Houston, Texas; his friend and first wife, Virginia Heintzelman, of Orlando; his dedicated personal assistant, Barbara Petroski; and his trusted valet, Rigoberto "Rigo" Alanis.Ê He was predeceased by a grandson, two brothers, and a sister, as well as indispensable aides, Clara Worsham and Horace Griffin.

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Memorial services will be private.Ê Contributions may be sent to Harbor House of Central Florida and the Salvation Army.

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Harbor House of Central Florida

P.O. Box 680748 Orlando, FL Ê32868

407-886-2244

www.harborhousefl.com/donate

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The Salvation Army

416 West Colonial Drive

Orlando, FLÊ 32804

http://donate.salvationarmyusa.org

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