Roland M. Hamilton, 89
Roland M. Hamilton, 89, of Pepperell, formerly of Groton, died at Apple Valley Center Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. He was born in Arlington, Oct. 19.1923, son of James Clinton and Margaret (Dahlbeck) Hamilton. He grew up in Arlington and Lexington, graduating from Lexington High School in 1942. He married Thelma Willard in 1945. They moved to Groton in 1954 and then to Pepperell in 1985.
Roland worked at Raytheon for 30 years as a mechanical engineer, and traveled across the country working on the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile systems. An advocate of public education, he served on the Groton School Committee for 17 years forging the regionalization with Dunstable. He was the last Chairman of the Groton School Committee and the first Chairman of the new Groton-Dunstable Regional High School. He also was a founding member of Nashoba Valley Technical School and served on that school committee too.
Roland was a member of the Lexington Minutemen in 1940, a company his own father helped to re-activate. He also was an 11th generation Mayflower descendant of John Alden.
Roland is survived by six children, Marcia Buckingham and her husband, Kim of Townsend; Roland Hamilton of Waukesha, WI; Susan Roberts and her husband Nick of Groton; Jeff Hamilton and his wife, Pam of Mesa, AZ; James Hamilton and his wife, Denise of Tyngsboro, and Christine Griffin and her husband, Joseph of Holden. Additionally he is survived by 16 grandchildren, David Buckingham, Jennifer Girard, Sarah Caliri, Erica Steffen, Robert, Christopher and Andrew Hamilton, Nickie Berritto, Todd, Katrina and Courtney Monaco, Shane Hamilton, Melissa Selesky, James Hamilton, Ashley Janes and Alex Griffin.
He was pre-deceased by a grandson, Steven Hamilton.
Roland and Thelma were blessed with 23 great-grandchildren, Nick & Ashlyn Girard, Julia and Abigayle Buckingham, Maggie, Kenny, Logan and Beth Steffen, Madeleine Hamilton, Robert Hamilton, Michael Hubka, Cassidy George, Matthew, Andrew & Kathryn Monaco, Xavier, Daven, and Liam Namiot, Angel Lermond, Noah Hamilton, Hannah and Ben Hamilton, and Mikayla Caliri. Great-grandchild #24 is due in July 2013.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Steven Hamilton to the engineering or sports dept. at Montachusett Regional Vocational Tech School, 1050 Westminster St., Fitchburg, MA 01420.
