My beautiful, independent, artistic mother passed away on February 13, 2024 at 11:11. I know my father, Howard Robert Hamilton, was waiting for her, because they were each other’s soulmate. I find great comfort in knowing they are back together again.
My mother’s words of wisdom in life would be that you must try ‘mayomust’ on brats. It is important to start the day with a scarf, pin, and colorful shirt which should be paired with shoes two sizes too big, because if a size seven shoe feels comfortable than a size nine shoe feels like heaven. In addition, begin your day by saying three things you are thankful for and look for opportunities to help people.
My mother referred to herself as a folk artist, but there was not a medium I know of that she did not try. Her favorite subject to paint was wildlife, preferably, mothers and their young. She loved making gifts for people and if you knew her then you own many creations.
She was born on October 9, 1950 and grew up in River Forest, Illinois. Throughout my mother’s grade school years she volunteered to clean cages and take care of wild animals for Miss Moe at River Forest Trailside Natural History Museum. In 1968, she graduated from Oak Park and River Forest Highschool, and her yearbook picture had the caption “Future curator of Brookfield Zoo”. She loved animals and always had a myriad of creatures in her life, and has nursed, healed, and released many injured birds back into the wild.
In 1973, she graduated from Illinois State University with a bachelors in special education. She used her degree to tutor several children and adults at her home. One of her most prized possessions was a letter written by Nick Johnson that told her how much her help meant to him. Another one of her students, Westin Dutson has visited her throughout the years and she enjoyed seeing him grow into an amazing young man and father.
My mother insisted she didn’t want a funeral, but if you need to say goodbye to her, she left me a beautiful letter stating she would be hanging out in the night sky around Orion. She promised to send me birds and dragonflies to let me know she is around, and also Bigfoot because I suffered through endless documentaries with her and never became a believer. I am not looking forward to that terrifying moment.
I wanted to say thank you to Intermountain Home Care Hospice for the care my mother received during one of the hardest periods of her life. She became close with her hospice nurse Margaret, and was thankful for the care she gave her and friendship. I am so appreciative that Margaret made sure her final moments on earth were without pain. To my mother’s sister, Julie, thank you for your many prayers and lit candles in her honor.
It is now time for me to end with how my mom started everyday, but instead tell her thank you. Thank you for showing Aidan and I that you loved us in numerous ways everyday. Thank you for watching Aidan every weekend for seventeen years when I worked, and introducing him to art, black and white movies, and your love of birds. Thank you for being the voice in my head that has kept me going these last few days, “Get up, get dressed, get a pin on Shannon Kathleen, we must always maintain no matter what is going on.” It is now time for my sister, Heather Racheal, to have both her parents. I will miss you so much, and yes, I have my pin on.