Janice Gail Hamlin

1950 - 2014

HAMLIN Janice Gail Hamlin October 23, 1950 September 15, 2014 Janice Gail Hamlin, 63, passed away the morning of September 15, 2014, of a sudden heart attack after she had arisen especially early that morning to share a warm embrace with her loving husband, Johnny. She was born on October 23, 1950 in Waycross, Georgia, to Jim Hampton and Carrie Waunell Bowen. She attended Wacona Elementary School and Kirby Smith Junior High School. After spending most of her childhood in Waycross, her father was transferred to a naval base in Florida and the family relocated to the Jacksonville area. She graduated from Paxon High School in 1969. Janice always loved sports and at 5 2 she ran hurdles on the varsity track team. Her grandmother, Mary Marie Fulford Bowen, had a profound influence on her life. In 1969, she met John D. Hamlin. There was instant chemistry. The two were married a year later on May 2, 1970. The couple moved to Callahan where they would eventually build their home on Janice Drive. Nine months later, they had their first son, Kyle. Five years later, they welcomed another son, Darin. Childhood memories of the Hamlin household were all about sports and outdoors. She spent Saturdays watching her boys play football then heading to Gainesville to watch the Gators play. Most Sundays were spent at the beach. She worked as the office manager and bookkeeper with F&G Construction for over 20 years. She had a great competitive spirit. One of her favorite stories to tell was about how she stood up in the stands and clapped, cheering for her son, immediately after he tackled another pop warner player leaving him on the field with the wind knocked out of him. The other parents in the stands sat quietly and motionless, until the other player got up. She had a passion for so many things: music - she sang in the choir, arts & crafts - she was either assembling Easter baskets for her grandchildren or painting a pot for their seeds to grow, food Janice was an excellent cook and she always had something frying in the kitchen or baking in the oven, wine she loved a glass or two of red wine every day, being outdoors she loved to camp at Huguenot Park and watch the boats come in during the Kingfish tournament, fishing there was nothing that eased her mind quite like fishing, gardening her fence was covered in wisteria vines, her swing surrounded by knock-out roses, and walkway paths filled with white iris, Gators she loved the team, so much so, she devoted a whole room in her house to it, puzzles usually her kitchen table had a 1,000 pieces puzzle partially assembled on it, her garage where the door was always open and you could find her sitting at the table ready for you to sit down and talk about anything, tailgating she would plan months in advance about what she was going to serve and how she would organize her Florida-Georgia spread, her community she coached girls Callahan Little League softball, Gator Nation Janice and Johnny have been Gator boosters for over 35 years, shopping she loved a great sale at Belk or Dillard s, grandchildren she would load the four grandchildren up in her Gator golf cart and drive them around the yard to the fence where they would pick buckets of blueberries, and most of all, Johnny because when you called her, you reached Janice and Johnny. Janice was preceded in death by her mother and father and her boxers, Offie, Dee, Blazer and Champ. Janice is survived by her husband of 44 years, John Doss Hamlin, her sons, John Kyle Hamlin (Anne Marie) and Michael Darin Hamlin (Tonia Christine), her grandchildren, Rhett Michael, Kyla Serrell, Olivia Dettore and Reece Christian, her brother, Shey Knight (Terri), her sister, Sonya Oliver (Dennis), nephews, Bryan Shuman, Sean Shuman, Derrick Oliver and Corey Knight and niece, Morgan Knight and her canine companion, Tebow. There will be a Memorial Service to honor the life of Janice Hamlin on Tuesday Sept. 23, 2014 at 2:00 PM in Jacksonville National Cemetery. The family would like to request that all attendees wear their school attire. Arrangements are under the care and direction of Ellis & Charlotte McAninch, Callahan Funeral Home, Inc. 879-2336. Condolences may be expressed at www.callahanfh.com. Please Sign the Guestbook @ Jacksonville.com