Robert William Hamilton died peacefully at Enloe Hospital in Chico on Sunday, March 2, 2025. He was born in Stockton to Bob and Gladys Hamilton in February of 1938.
He was three years old when his father, a dairyman, moved the family to a dairy ranch in Artois. He attended Artois School and Willows High School.
Deeply connected to the area, he returned in retirement to live near where he grew up.
In 1956, he joined the United States Air Force and was eventually stationed at Hamilton Air Force Base in Marin County. While there, he met and married Becky Marlow, with whom he had a daughter, Cindy.
After his discharge, the family returned to Willows briefly before relocating to Mountain View. He became a union carpenter and later a general contractor.
He also owned and operated a trucking business for a time, hauling fruits and vegetables across the western United States.
Bob had many talents and interests. He was a master woodworker, an accomplished welder, and a skilled mechanic who could fix almost anything, always with great attention to detail.
He loved traveling and, together with Becky, fulfilled a goal of visiting all 50 states, as well as Canada and Mexico, before turning 50. He never hesitated to drop in on old friends during his travels.
He enjoyed fishing, hunting, and camping, and proudly earned his private pilot’s license, once flying his family across the country for vacation. He was also an avid reader, with an extensive personal library spanning many topics.
He had a deep interest in his family’s roots and spent countless hours researching the Hamilton genealogy and traveling to learn more about his ancestors. He loved sharing this information with his family.
He is survived by his daughter, Cindy Picetti (Paul); granddaughters Annette Picetti-Grosjean, Katrina Picetti, and Breanne Picetti-Orfitelli (Jarrod Orfitelli); great-grandchildren Luke, Emma, and Sara Grosjean, and Gianni and Chiara Orfitelli; his dear friend Karleen Price and her family; and many beloved nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bob and Gladys Hamilton; his sisters Lois Franke, Doris Ray, Mary Suhr, and Barbara Treutle; and his grandson, Matthew Picetti.
Bob will be interred at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 12, at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery, Igo. Family and friends are warmly invited to join in honoring his memory and celebrating a life well-lived.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Robert W. Hamilton to the Wounded Warrior Project or the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) organization.
The Glenn County Observer 