Lorraine Merrill Hamilton

On February 12, 2024, as she had started around the sun for the hundredth time in her red satin white polka dot pajamas Lorraine Merrill Hamilton passed away peacefully. She was always quite the fashionista.

Lorraine was born in Glendale, Calif., Nov. 7, 1924. She was the fourth daughter and child of Kathryn and Oliver Merrill. Her younger brother, Ollie, joined the family two years later. She graduated from Hoover High School and went to Glendale College before marrying Robert Grant Hamilton Sept. 1, 1945. They had five children.

During WWII she was a draftsman at Lockheed in Los Angeles, Calif. She went to high school during the early 1940s and told the story of how she recalled President Roosevelt declaring WWII on the loud speaker while she was in classes.

Lorraine was also a survivor of a mild case of polio in 1952 when several family members were stricken.

Lorraine enjoyed being a mother and staying at home with her young children. After her children were older she worked for Security Pacific National Bank in downtown LA in the check processing center. She was the night supervisor and carpooled with several women from La Mirada, Calif., to downtown Los Angeles for her shift in the middle of the night. During that time she survived the Silmar Earthquake in 1971 while they were working in the middle of the night in the old bank building. There was a huge amount of shaking and the checks were all over the floor. She later worked for J.C. Penneys as a bookkeeper.

After her husband died Lorraine moved to Glasgow, Mont., where she was on a bowling league and enjoyed a small house she bought and fixed up. However, the weather was too cold and icy for her and she was not used to two-lane roads. So she moved back to the Newport Beach area in a senior living apartment where she enjoyed playing ping pong, painting doll houses, spending time with numerous suitors as she was quite the flirt, spending time with friends and family and hanging around with her sister Gloria, who was called Dodie. They both enjoyed getting KFC chicken and walking along the beach.

Lorraine always loved to "lay in the sun" at the beach or by a pool. She was always a foodie and she enjoyed eating without gaining weight. She was a very good cook with her pies and scrambled eggs being legendary in the family. Some of her favorite things were mashed potatoes and gravy, rare steak, See's candy, "bean spaghetti," a Navy Grog, and a glass of Chardonay wine. "Bean Spaghetti" was a family staple that her mom also made for her family.

Lorraine was very handy around the house doing repairs and putting things together. She enjoyed putting together and painting dollhouses. She also had an uncanny mathematical ability. Her super power was that she was a good listener and spent many hours talking with her family and friends on the telephone.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Grant Hamilton; one son, Robert Merrill Hamilton; her parents, Oliver Joslyn Merrill and Kathryn Seaman Merrill; her sisters, Gwendolyn Merrill Hewitt, Gloria Merrill Weisenheimer and Kathryn Merrill McCarthy; and her brother, Oliver Joslyn Merrill.

She also was preceded in death by son-in-laws Peter Jeffrey Grobel and Thomas Francis Duprez and daughter-in-law Michelle Lee Hamilton.

Lorraine was very proud of her family and is survived by her sons, Kendal Grant Hamilton (Lynne), David Mark Hamilton; her daughters, Nancy Jeane Hamilton and Peggy Sue Grobel (Kyle); grandsons, Mark Thomas Duprez, Craig Robert Duprez, Joseph Grant Hamilton, Nicolas Kendal Grobel (Jamie), William Carter Hamilton (Dana), John David Hamilton, Zachary Hamilton Grobel, David Grant Hamilton (Rysa), Chistopher Lee Waters, Arle Thomas Waters, and Aaron Robert Waters; granddaughters, Stephanie Lynn Farris (Adrian), Sommer Lorraine Hamilton, Kendall Elizabeth Mouw (Ryan), Bobbi Shae Crooks (Joshua), Amy Lynn Fernandez (Andreas), Hannah Lorraine Newman (Wes), Sarah Grobel Bolstad (Ty), Cassandra Rose Green (Cody), Lynsey Deveny Grobel, Shea Lorraine Sechler (Jordan), Rachael Michelle Kolmer (John), and Emma Ruth Hamilton; great-grandchildren, Hannah Elizabeth Duprez, Celeste Raine Jones, Ivy Jo Hines, Lilah Anne Hines, Nicholas Grant Hamilton, Travis Grant Hamilton, Warren James Mouw, Claire Elizabeth Mouw, Grant William Mouw, Hudson Pratt Farris, Hawkins Law Farris, Parker Rian Baskett, Campbell Gale Crooks, Keira Brielle Fernandez, Jace Gavin Fernandez, Hudson James Green, Reed Grant Hamilton, Banks Henley Bostad, Jovi Star Bolstad, Drea Patrice Bolstad, Claire Elizabeth Newman, Creed Robert Newman, and one more on the way; and great-great-grandchild Penelope Dawn Duprez. Lorraine was also survived by many nieces, great nieces, nephews, and great nephews who were very special to her.

In her final year of life Lorraine was living at Valley View Nursing Home in Glasgow. The family would like to thank them for taking such good care of their loved one. Lorraine talked about how well they cared for her.

There will be a celebration of her life on Friday, Aug. 9, graveside at Pacific View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Corona Del Mar, Calif.