Obituary of Esther Karrin Hamilton

Esther Karin (Brainard) Hamilton, 54, resided in Portland, OR. Sunday, August 14, 2011, Esther passed away peacefully in her home with her beloved family around her. She had valiantly battled pancreatic cancer. Her spirit remained strong as her body grew weak, and the illness ended her life on this earth. She made peace with her transitioning to heaven, and was not in any pain. Esther was born March 1st, 1957 in Palo Alto, CA. Her parents were Melvin C. Brainard and Billy Louise (McBrayer) Brainard (both deceased). She was the middle child to her brothers Joe and Marty. When Esther was 12 years old, her family suffered the great loss of her Mother (also to cancer). It was a very difficult time for Esther of which she never completely healed. She had an Aunt Evelyn Stinnett who stepped in where she could and was a great comfort to Esther. She and her aunt had a strong love for each other and as Esther grew older, she was able to comfort her aunt during difficult times. Esther grew in Milpitas, CA. She graduated from Milpitas High in 1975. She was very involved in her high school. She participated in varsity basketball, student council as secretary, and was a letter girl (cheerleader). Her senior year she was voted “best personality.” After high school Esther attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara for 3 years. In 1982, Esther was blessed with the birth of her daughter Megan. Esther often said that being Megan’s mother was the best thing she had ever done. Esther was a great mother, lavishing Megan with love and affection. As a single parent for many years, Esther found ways to be creative even when they did not have much money. Together Esther and Megan had a lot of joy, love, and a wonderful relationship. In 1993, Esther and Megan relocated to Portland, OR to be closer to family. While working at Simpson Timber Co., Esther met and fell in love with James Hamilton. The two married in July of 1997. James and Esther had a very strong relationship and was a perfect addition to the family. In 1999, Esther and Jim unofficially adopted Shauna, who completed their family. Esther enjoyed crafts and sewing, she often made matching outfits for Megan and her dolls. She also loved making holiday decorations. She enjoyed gardening, especially planting and nurturing flowers, doing crossword puzzles, cooking new and favorite recipes, going to the beach, and most of all shopping. She loved spending time with friends, family and children. She has always dreamed of opening her own daycare. Most important to her was her family, she was so proud of them. Multi-Talented with many interests, Esther had a wide variety of occupations in her life. Among them all she loved working with senior citizens, and her favorite was her job at Kohls in customer service and cash office. She made friends with everyone there and was given the title “Customer Service Queen.” She was saddened to leave her job at Kohls but greatly appreciated the love, support, and prayers from her friends and co-workers. Esther was a selfless person, always putting others before herself. She was an amazing mother, wife, and friend. She touched so many people’s lives with her kind and gentle spirit. She always went out of her way to help or just make others feel good. She prayed every day for her loved ones and friends. Esther had an amazing way of connecting with people. She made friends everywhere she went, making people feel special and important. She had a wonderful sense of humor, which turned many tears to laughter. She brightened everyone’s day and never spoke ill of anyone. She made people feel that they had the opportunity to be magnificent in her eyes. In March 2010, Esther was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She fought it hard from the very first day, undergoing a rigorous surgery and multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Although there were hard days, she managed to keep a smile on her face and stay her loving self. She beat the odds against her disease and lived 1 year 5 months, making the most of her time spending with family, friends, and of course watching Perry Mason. She was so very strong, her spirit and personality shining through despite the situation. Esther was a very spiritual woman. She held the Christian faith and was a firm believer in Jesus Christ our Savior. She knew she would be reunited with loved ones some day after her death, this gave her great comfort. Although she did not belong to a specific church her prayer life was strong and her Christian values evident in her life. Esther made her last trip to the ocean with Megan and Jim a week before she passed. When asked if she was having a good time, she replied “So much fun!” She regretted that she wouldn’t be with her daughters to hug them, and that she wouldn’t physically meet her grandchildren. She is survived by her loving husband Jim; her daughters Megan and Shauna; her brothers Joe and Marty; sister-in-law Candace; nieces Jessica and Danielle; nephew Cody; cousins Sara and Diana; a million friends; pets Dixie and Rowdy; and her grandkittens Ben and Dracula. A celebration of life potluck will be held in Esther’s honor Saturday, August 27th at 2pm. It will be held at the South building of Crossroads Community Church in Portland. Please bring a dish of your choice. In lieu of flowers please bring a potted flower of your choice. Any donations will be split between Pancan (research for pancreatic cancer) and Crossroads Church. Esther, we all love you and miss you so much. God bless you dear one.