HIRAM- Sam Hamill, of Hiram, Maine, formerly of Scituate Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home on February 14, 2018, surrounded by his family. The second eldest of four children, Sam had a sense of adventure from a young age and lived a hundred lifetimes. He was a merchant marine, equestrian, pipe-organ repairer, mathematician, founder of Hamill Co, Inc - his machine tool business, poet, guitar player, ultra-light pilot, oil painter, sailor, engineer, carpenter, hiker, skier, gardener, cook, friend, beloved Dad to his 5 children and dear Papa to his 4 grandchildren. Sam was born in Cincinnati, Ohio but came east for college and felt most at home by the sea and in the mountains. Firmly planted on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic in Scituate for 40 years, Sam cherished the changing light, winds, storms and peace of the ocean. He set his internal compass by her tides, and shared with his family his love of the water. He brought his brood swimming in the bracing cold of many a Northeast summer and taught them to love the briskness of a frosty, surging dip. He was ever awed by Nature and her power and beauty. Many a weekend was spent hiking in the White Mountains with his wife and children, and the courage to veer off the beaten trail and try for the summit using the map and good sense rather than just by following painted blazes was part and parcel of who Sam was. He loved to cook for his family, and would pack extravagant lunches, comprised of many courses (including homemade ice cream for dessert) for hikes and road trips, a sure incentive for his teenagers to wake up at 5am to head north for a climb. This passion for cooking and showing his love for family through great food was passed on to his children. He loved to read and sing to his children, and gave different voices to each little character that Beatrix Potter ever created as part of bedtime stories. He played classical guitar beautifully, and inspired all 5 children to take up the instrument, and play together. Sam read and wrote volumes of poetry, much of it inspired by love and much from history. He has given his children the inspiration to write as well, and to persevere in their writing even when giving up would have been easier. Sam was an avid skier up until he was 82 years old, always pushing the limits of his ability and comfort level, and encouraging his children and grandchildren to do the same. He loved a good run down Pokey Pine Trail at King Pine on a sunny winter’s day. Sam was ever inquisitive in his quiet way. He loved to theorize on the workings of objects, questions of natural phenomena, and was an inventor until the end. He gave this gift to many of his children and grandchildren as well. At 75, Sam moved from Scituate to Hiram, buying a camp on the side of Oak Hill. His home had no running water and a scrappy small yard that first August, and Sam would bathe in the creek on his land. He turned the spot into a paradise for himself and his family. He farmed almost ½ acre, including an orchard that he planted, doing all the tilling, sowing and maintenance by himself for the first years, eventually teaching his children and grandchildren to garden and handing over the reins to share the joy of a bountiful harvest. He loved to have his grandchildren ride the tractor to mow the grass, and plant and harvest the many vegetables in the garden. Sam was a solitary soul, but considered himself incredibly lucky to have for neighbors Sue and Art Melanson, who shared Oak Hill with him. He loved to hike Oak Hill and Bill Merrill Mountain with his dog Tennessee, and was always glad to meet Art out tending to his maple taps. Dick and Barbara Bruneault, his dear neighbors to the west, gave him support and friendship that he treasured. Dick was perhaps the best friend Sam ever had – cut from the same cloth, and there for Sam always in his steady, quiet way. Sam knew how lucky he was to have him for a friend and neighbor. Sam hiked weekly with his children and grandchildren up until fall of 2017. He was ever content to be on a wooded trail, quietly moving forward with loved ones and his dog at his side. Sam’s was a rich life, well lived and long, and his passing has left an aching void. His gentle presence will be terribly missed by his 5 children: Lila, Leanna, Sam, Chris and Sarah Hamill; his daughter in law Liz Thorstenson; sons in law Jeremy Brown and Eugene Cabana; grandchildren Finn and Osa Brown and Audrey and Manny Cabana; former wife Joey Hamill; sister Jane Sommer, brother in law Sandy Sommer, niece Jane Millard, nephews Sandy and Graydon Sommer; and his hound dog Tennessee. Sam will be laid to rest on his beloved land in a private ceremony.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Poitras, Neal & York Funeral Home. Online condolence messages can be submitted at www.mainefuneral.com