Barbara Leane Hamilton

Passed away December 24,2010 at Medical City hospital after an eleven-year battle with lung cancer. She was born December 3, 1933 to Valarus J. Brian and Florence Marie Healy Brian in Bristol,Indiana,and spent her early years in Elkhart,Indiana before moving with her family to Dallas in 1946.Barbara graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1951,and married Donald W. Hamilton July 3,1952.In 1957 she received a degree in Elementary Education from SMU. After college,she moved with her husband to Michigan where he was employed as an Engineer with General Motors,and she taught school. After her husband's retirement,they moved back to the Dallas area to be closer to family.She was smart,optimistic, adventurous,caring, an excellent school teacher,and always had a smile. She loved the outdoors and active sports.While in Michigan, she enjoyed snow skiing,boating, water-skiing,camping,motorcycling, bicycling, and crewed for her husband when he raced cars.She is preceded in death by her parents,a sister Valarie,a sister Joan Shipp,brother Valarus J.Brian,Jr.and a sister Carol Short.She is survived by her husband of fifty-eight years, Donald W.Hamilton,sister-in-law Tommie Brian of Garland,sister Nancy Kleypas and husband Larry of Houston, sister Sandra Canizaro of Austin,sister Judy Brian of Dallas,sister Linda Shull and husband Lon of Grand Prairie,special friends Sherrie Montgomery of Dallas,Ruthann and Dwain Lovett of Montserrat,Gabi and Ed Meeks of Garland,very special little guy Nicholas Hamilton Orlowsky of Austin,and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of Life Service will be at 12:00 noon,Saturday, January 8,2011 at Eastgate Funeral Home,1910 Eastgate Drive, Garland,Texas In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer society.....