George Raymond Hamilton, Jr.

Our father Ray passed away peacefully on Sunday, September 24,2023.

He was born August 22, 1943, in Greenville, South Carolina and grew up in Columbia, Tennessee. He graduated from Columbia Military Academy and attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He continued his education in Memphis, where Ray graduated from University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy where he was awarded a doctorate in 1968.

Ray was avid race car driver in the Sports Car Club of America and a member of the Nissan Race Team (SCCA). Where he and his teammate, Tom Stephens, taught Tom Cruise to drive for the film "Days of Thunder ". He enjoyed tennis, golf, snow skiing, and shopping where he could get a good deal. He had a career in the pharmaceutical world where he was a pioneer in nuclear medicine. These jobs took him to Atlanta, Georgia, New Orleans, Louisiana and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Ray retired to the beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. Ray was the son of the late George Raymond Hamilton, Sr. (2017) and Martha Lucile Harris Hamilton (2020).

He is survived by his two daughters, Gay Marie Hamilton Young of St. Catharines, Ontario; and Merrily Meade (Jack) Calhoun of Houston, Texas.

He is also survived by four grandchildren, Jensen, Sterling and Cameron Young, Catherine (Cici) Calhoun; sisters, Sandra (Tom) Reidy of Franklin, Tennessee and Elenor Maxheim  of Longboat Key, Florida; one niece, Angie (Jan) Pahleteg; one nephew, Edward Boyd Hart Jr. of Nashville, Tennessee; two great grandchildren and two great nephews.

Private Family internment will be held at a later date. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisting the family with arrangements and condolences may be extended on line at www.oakesandnichols.com.