Thomas W. Hamilton

Thomas W. Hamilton, 87, of New Haven died May 5, 2021.  He was born in Fort Wayne, on December 29, 1933, to the late Elzie and Elizabeth Hamilton. He was a member of Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

He served proudly in the United States Navy for 21 years. His service began immediately after high school during the Korean War aboard the USS Porterfield DD-682 (a Destroyer, also known as Tin Cans because of their thin hull and lack of armor plate). He also earned a  B.A. in accounting from Indiana University and worked as an accountant. After retiring from the military, he enjoyed attending yearly reunions with those who also served on the USS Porterfield. He enjoyed reading (especially military history), traveling, and spending time with his family.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years Ruth (Zimmerman) Hamilton; son Robert (Joan) Hamilton of Warren; daughter Patricia (Byron) Funnell of Fort Wayne; four grandchildren – Jacob (Kimling Lam) Surber of Colorado, Shannon (Aaron) Jenks of Texas,  Amanda (Michael) Schwind and   Caitlin (Ethan) Spaulding of Kentucky; and 6 great-grandchildren – Elena and Ted Surber, Julian and Nikolai Jenks, and Forrest and Jubilee Spaulding. He was preceded in death by his three brothers – Richard, Gerald, and Vernon Edward. Services will be at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Ave., Fort Wayne, on Saturday, May 15 at 4:00 pm, with visitation 2-4 pm. Preferred memorials: donations in Tom’s name to,

Tin Can Sailors (http://www.destroyers.org/index.html) TCS, PO Box 100, Somerset, MA  02726.