Obituaries

Olive (Ollie) Donna Hamilton (nee Wright)
Feb 18, 1935 to April 6, 2026

We are grateful for the life of Ollie Hamilton (nee Wright) and are sad to announce her passing.

She was predeceased by her husband Gale, son Brad, and daughter Lisa.

Ollie is survived by: daughters Terry (Les), Kim (Darrel), Lorie (Rory), and son-in-law Dave; Grandchildren Jarrad (Jenn), Dana (Colin), Devin (Sara), Drew (Michelle), Megan (Tyler), Jaclyn and Ryan; and Great Grandchildren Eliott, Tessa, Lillabelle, Jarvis, Ivy, Erik, Ava, Jane and Jonny.

Ollie was born in Boissevain, Manitoba, to Arthur and Eileen Wright. She spent her early years on the farm and shared many memories of life there including time spent with her grandparents, the love of her uncles, her fear of the chickens and adventures with her horse, Daisy. Life on the farm was good, but lonely, so she was very excited to have her sister added to the family 13 years later. They still consider themselves twins!

Subsequently, the family moved to Boissevain where she spent her teenage years working at the bakery and the telephone office and going to dances and camping at Clear Lake.
After high school, she moved to Brandon for business college and met her future husband, Gale Hamilton. Together they spent many years moving around Saskatchewan and Manitoba, making dear friends everywhere they went and raising 5 children.

Ollie was really happy when their young family moved to Brandon where she was able to live near her family. She had close ties with her relatives in southern Manitoba and especially with her sister Noreen (Jeff) and her beloved niece Taunya and nephews Mike and Scott. She made many close friends, including the indelible Pam and her family. She spent several memorable family holidays at Clear Lake. Another big part of her life in Brandon was her volunteer work with the Kinettes.

The family settled in Winnipeg in 1968 where Ollie continued to make friends and was a stay at home mom for many years. While raising her children, Ollie liked to socialize by having coffee with friends, including her best friend, Kathy. She was part of a lively Saturday night couples bridge group as well as a ladies bridge club.She loved listening to music and was especially thrilled to see her hero, Tony Bennett, perform live both in Reno and in Winnipeg. Later, she re-entered the work force, working for many years at motor vehicle licensing where she was known by colleagues as “Judge Judy” for her ability to detect people who were not giving her the true story of their licensing history. During those years she loved golfing with her friends when she wasn’t busy hosting backyard family barbeques.

In retirement, Ollie volunteered with Palliative Manitoba and was active in her church, Crestview United, where she greatly appreciated the guidance of her minister, Beth Rutherford. She enjoyed living at Metropolitan Kiwanis Courts (MKC) for 7 years where she looked forward to Friday afternoon music events, lunch with friends, and cribbage.

Family was always first with Ollie. She was very proud of all of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Because of her example and commitment, the family has strong roots and is deeply connected. She embodied all of the qualities one could wish for. Strong yet soft. She knew deep grief and great joy. She packed a lot of patience. Resilient, yet happy to go with the flow. Trusting. Loving. Generous of heart. Never missed a friend or family birthday – and there were many! Stoic in times of hardship. Silly when given the chance. And she had the best Santa story you will ever hear.

She was the life of the party at her 90th birthday in February of 2025. Ollie often remarked how special it was to be able to celebrate with so many of her family. She celebrated in true Ollie style with loads of laughter, plenty of chocolate birthday cake and perhaps a glass of wine! Ollie loved reminiscing about her life and we are grateful for the legacy of her stories.

She will be forever remembered and deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

We owe great thanks to the staff at MKC and the angel healthcare aides for going “above and beyond” to care for Ollie. The family is also very grateful to the amazing staff at Riverview Health Centre 3E for the compassion and care they provided to mom and her family on her final journey.

At mom’s request a private family interment will be held in Boissevain and a family celebration of life will be held in Alberta this summer.

To remember Ollie and who she was for her family, friends, church and community, we invite you to make a donation to a charity that means something personal to you, in her honor.