NORTH YARMOUTH – Chebeague Island has lost one of its sons. Theron Hamilton passed away on Feb. 4, 2026, after living his 96 years to the fullest.
The son of Irvin and Ellen Hamilton and brother to Kenneth, Audrey, Sylvia, Rodney, and Joyce, he was born in 1929 on Chebeague, where the family had grown deep roots over generations. He was briefly without a name until his father suggested one he had heard on the pier in Portland: Theron. But mostly he was known as Tarz or Uncle Tarz to many on Chebeague and to his granddaughter Julia. A Tarzan sweatshirt in his youth was the source of that nickname.
He joked that he graduated second in his class from Chebeague Island High School. (There were only two graduates that year.) He lobstered for a short time, worked as a tool and die maker at Douglas Aircraft in California, and served in the Navy where he worked as a machinist mate on the USS New Jersey. He was very proud of his naval service. He later joined the Portland Pipeline, where he stayed for 30 years, gained a new nickname, Hammy, and made good friends doing demanding work.
A blind date and whirlwind, six-week courtship became a 47-year marriage between Theron and his beloved wife, Bev. He liked her trim ankle and she fancied his suede coat. Together they raised two children, Kim and Andy, at their home in North Yarmouth and were the especially proud grandparents of Jesse and Julia. Theron wasn’t just grandpa to them. He was the Grandest of the Pa’s. He earned that title with the many gestures of love over the years, from the big hugs and bouquets of flowers to the annual pumpkin patch and Easter egg hunts.
He was an avid hunter, more for the quiet of the woods and the camaraderie and hijinks of the camp than the hunt itself, though he had plenty to brag about. He was also an enthusiastic traveler – from the Caribbean to Europe and many places in the United States with friends and family. There was a special spot in his heart, though, for Rangeley, where he and Bev often travelled in the autumn. He finally took a cruise to Alaska with his two children, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
His 6-foot 3-inch imposing size was never an impediment to hitting the dance floor as a young man on Chebeague or in the heyday of the Big Band era in New York City. He loved to dance. In his later years, however, he was known for his agility in the kitchen. One Christmas he baked 42 loaves of pumpkin bread. The pumpkin bread tradition, along with endless cookies and pies, continued for many decades into his 90’s.
Those closest to Theron know that he rarely went a day without a donut or muffin along with his bottomless coffee, and that the closing of Stone’s Diner, where he built a loving community of friends, dealt a blow that hit hard. Morning donuts were regularly followed by an evening sip of cognac (his “afternoon tea”), a practice that seemed to ensure rather than diminish his longevity.More than anything else, Theron was a true-blue friend and for many a bonus father. He liked nothing more than sharing stories and following the triumphs and heartaches of everyone’s lives, which he was able to do with amazing accuracy. He was funny and kind. He gave and received hugs generously. Everyone was invited to his table, which grew bigger as he grew older, countering all myths that loneliness awaits older men.
He was predeceased by his wife Beverly (Plummer) Hamilton, his brothers, Rodney Hamilton and Kenneth Hamilton, his sisters, Audrey (Hamilton) Collins and Sylvia (Hamilton) Ross, and two infant daughters.
He is survived by his son, Andrew Hamilton and his wife Michelle (Burke) Hamilton; his daughter Kimberly Hamilton and her husband Barry Fitzsimmons; two grandchildren, Jesse Hamilton and Julia Hamilton; and his loving sister Joyce Burns and her husband Robert. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and a circle of friends he held close.
The family has many people to thank. The exceptional North Yarmouth Fire Rescue crew came to know Theron on a first name basis. Though his time was short at the Maine Veterans Home, his care there was loving. In his last year, the Maine Medical Center became a familiar destination. The teams that cared for him until the very end were outstanding in every way that an extraordinary man deserves.
The family invites you to a Celebration of Theron’s Life on Saturday, February 21 at 11:30 a.m., at the North Yarmouth Congregational Church (3 Gray Road in North Yarmouth, at the corners of Routes 115 and 231) followed by a reception there.
Eat a donut. Hug a friend. Dance. May your own table be as full and expansive as his.
Condolences and tributes may be shared at http://www.hallfuneralhome.net.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the North Yarmouth Fire Rescue (10 Village Square Road, North Yarmouth, ME 04097)
or the The Chebeague Island Historical Society
(137 South Road,
Chebeague Island, ME 04017)
or the Island Institute
(PO Box 648,
Rockland, ME 04841)