Harold Hugh Hamilton Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Harold passed away among family in Greensboro, NC. on August 1, 2022. Born to Opal and Ed Hamilton, Harold was an adventuresome, witty and caring individual. Graduating from Texas Tech University in 1957, Harold went on to earn his U.S. Navy Flight Wings in Pensacola, Florida and was honorably discharged in 1962 as a Navy Lieutenant. Flying a P2V Neptune, his Navy career included posts in Iceland, Italy, South America, Cuba, and Maine. Harold piloted the first U.S. aircraft that located the infamous hijacked passenger ship, the Santa Maria, off the coast of South America in 1961. Following his naval career, Harold worked in the textile industry, retiring in 2016. In the 1970s, Harold obtained his private pilot’s license, flying family and friends to Texas, Bermuda, the North Carolina Outerbanks, and various other destinations. Harold enjoyed hiking and canoeing with family in the Appalachians, swimming and fishing with family at Blue Sea Lake in Quebec, Canada, tennis with friends and family, and running competitively, having completed the Marine Corps Marathon in 1980. Harold was involved for several years in Toastmasters and was a devout Christian who loved to study the bible. Harold is preceded in death by his wife of nearly 51 years, Bebe, whom he married in Ottawa, Canada in 1961, parents Opal and Ed Hamilton of Tahoka, Texas, and nephew Charles Eddie Whitfield of Lubbock, Texas. He is survived by children Meg Davis and Shelagh Holder of Greensboro, North Carolina, and Paul Hamilton of Alexandria, Virginia, as well as grandchildren Joshua and Andrew Holder, Claire and Jack Hamilton, and Kosmos Rogozinski. Among his Texan family, Harold is survived by sisters Edie Whitfield of Sherman, Joy Rainey of Northfield, and Vicki Tate of Lubbock, nephew Larry Whitfield of Sherman, nieces Misty Pringle of Wilson, Windy Shannon of Northfield, and Sunny Tidwell and Kristin Tate of Lubbock. A memorial service will be held at the Pleasant Garden Baptist Church in Pleasant Garden, North Carolina on Saturday, August 13th, with visitation beginning at 10:00 a.m. and services commencing at 11:00 a.m. Pleasant Garden Chapel is serving the family.

Harold Hugh Hamilton

November 1, 1935 - August 1, 2022