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Robert Jay Hamer, 65, of Belle Vernon (Fairhope), passed away on Tuesday, October 27, 2009 in UPMC St. Margarets Hospital, Pittsburgh. He was born in Pittsburgh on September 23, 1944, the son of Mary Elizabeth Middleton Hamer and the late Donald William Hamer. He had been a resident of Fairhope, Washington Twp., his entire life. He was a member, and served as an elder and custodian, with the Marion Presbyterian Church of Fairhope, was a member of the Bellmar High School Class of 1962, where he served on the reunion committee and was a member of the Mon Valley Church dartball league since 1977. After high school, Bob worked at Bart's Exxon and the Sadowski Sawmill until being drafted in 1965. He served with the U.S. Army Company B 25th medical battalion, 25th infantry division in Cui Chi, Vietnam as a supply sergeant. After his return to the United States in 1967, he worked at Corning Glass in Charleroi until he got into the manpower training course for electronics in Donora, where he completed electronics training in 1968. Bob began his career as an electronics technician for Sears Roebuck and Company on January 20, 1969, where he worked for the next 36 years until his retirement in June, 2005. After a taking a year off, relaxing and playing with his grandkids, Bob found the one job that gave him the most satisfaction, driving a van for Tri County Access in Donora. In April 1969, Bob married the love of his life, Sharon Branthoover. Bob and Sharon were together for over 40 years and together they were blessed with two great sons and daughters- in-law, David J, and Rachael Hamer of Elizabeth Twp., and Donald Lee and Valerie Hamer of Fairhope, four beautiful grandkids, Colby J., Ryan Nicholas, Cameron Jay and Courtney Leeann Hamer. Bob is also survived by his mother Betty Hamer, a resident of the Mon Valley Care Center, one brother and sister-in-law, Dale and Arden Hamer, of Murrysville, two sisters and brothers-in-law, Darla and Joe Belsick of Fairhope and Donna Grace and Norman Gilotty of Fayette City, and a host of other relatives and friends. Besides his father, Bob was preceded in death by his grandparents, Wilbert and Nettie Middleton and Thomas and Ethel Hamer and a niece Lauren Engber. Friends will be received 7 to 9 P.M. Wednesday and 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 PM Thursday in the Ferguson Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., (724-929-5300), 700 Broad Avenue, Belle Vernon, www.FergusonFuneralHomeandCrematory.com. Services will be held in the Funeral Home on Friday morning at 8:45 am with Pastor Robert Prinkey officiating. Interment will follow in the Cemetery of the Alleghenies, Bridgeville, with full military honors.

Tributes

Robert Jay Hamer

September 23, 1944 - October 27, 2009