Jeanmarie Hamilton

Jeanmarie Hamilton, loving and beloved mother, passed away February 14, 2025 at the age of 78. 

Born February 11, 1947, to Joan Matilda Christie and John Warner Blake in Eugene, OR, Jeanmarie grew up in El Paso, TX and Albuquerque, NM. 

She met the love of her life, Robert Andrew Hamilton, when he was training as an Army lieutenant at Fort Bliss in the Nike Hercules Missile Program. They married in 1967, were blessed with their daughter, Anne Marie, and enjoyed 45 years together before Bob’s untimely death in 2012 at 67. 

After her own father’s death in 2013, Jeanmarie took in her mother and cared for her until she passed away in 2021. 

Jeanmarie was a stay-at-home mom before working in real estate and the family business, Don Caliche’s Garden Center, where she specialized in orchids and holiday décor. She later wrote and published historical and paranormal romance stories and novels. Jeanmarie was also a gifted painter of landscapes and horses with a love of music and theater and supported her daughter’s education in the arts. She donated to charities including the El Paso Foodbank and El Paso Humane Society and rescued many pets through the years, including cats, dogs, and a white-fronted amazon parrot. Her mother’s Shih Tzu Coco and her Border Collie Jenny have found a loving home with her daughter and son-in-law Scott but miss her very much. 

Jeanmarie was a natural gardener and transformed the yards of each home she owned into a secret oasis for wildlife with ponds full of koi and goldfish. Jeanmarie was a member of P.E.O. International Sisterhood for more than fifty years and served as President of Chapter GL, Texas. After moving to Murphysboro, IL to live with her daughter in 2024, she transferred from Chapter AO, Texas, to Chapter KL, Illinois. Jeanmarie had a keen eye for wildlife and remained curious about science and the natural world throughout her life. She shared facts about flora, fauna, and geology so often that many of her daughter’s friends thought she was a scientist. 

She will be fondly remembered for her generosity, kindness, and resilience. 

Jeanmarie is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Drs. Anne Marie and Scott David Hamilton-Brehm, her brother, Hal Blake, her siblings-in-law Doris Duarte and John and Sue Hamilton, and her nieces and nephews. 

A memorial gathering will take place on Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 11:00 AM until 1:00 PM at Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the charity of your choice. Envelopes will be available at the funeral home.

Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale assisted the family with arrangements. To leave a story or memory of Jeanmarie, visit www.meredithfh.com