Dorothy Wattinger Hamilton, 84, died peacefully on Thursday, August 9, 2012 after a short illness.
Dorothy, a fourth generation Austinite, was the only child of Maurice and Irma Wattinger. Her February 29, 1928, birthday made her a leap-year baby. Earlier this year she finally celebrated her 21st birthday. Dorothy was baptized and confirmed at St. Martin's Lutheran Church. Her family moved many times during her childhood and she attended 12 different schools in Texas and Ohio before graduating from Austin High School. After graduation she took courses at Durham Business College and began her business career at Texas Employment Commission. Ten years later she accepted a job with the personnel department at Farmers Insurance Group. She retired from Farmers after 27 years.
On September 3, 1948, Dorothy married Charles Richard Hamilton at St. Martin's Lutheran Church. Charles and Dorothy were married for 58 years. Dorothy's love of traveling, seeing new places, and meeting interesting people continued since childhood. She and Richard visited all 50 state capitals and numerous foreign countries. They also embarked on 17 cruises across the globe. She enjoyed genealogy and spent many hours researching her family's history. She was a charter member of Lord of Life Lutheran Church and enjoyed participating in the choir and the Kindred Sisters.

Her greatest pleasure was time spent with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Dorothy was the proud mother of three daughters, Karen Schultz and husband Dale of Hurst, Texas, Linda Reynolds and husband Don of Spring Branch, Texas, Lori Cooke and husband Bruce of Austin, and one son, Charles Hamilton of Sahuarita, Arizona. She has nine grandchildren: Clint, Laura, Mark, Emily, Brandon, Travis, Grayson, Kathleen, and Randy and six great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Lord of Life Lutheran Church or to your favorite charity.
Visitation will be at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home on Saturday, August 11, from 5:00 to 7:00. Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 12, 2012, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 9700 Neenah Drive, Austin, Texas. Burial will be at Capital Parks Mausoleum on North IH-35.