Madeleine Hamilton

Madeleine Hamilton, 90 years and 1 month, left this world for a better one at home with her daughter on Saturday, December 12, 2015. Madeleine grew up in northwestern New Jersey as one of four children of Clarence and Marguerite (Raas) Waldron. Madeleine was a strong, independent young woman who struck out on her own at age 17. Valedictorian of the Roxbury (New Jersey) High School Class of 1943, she worked tirelessly as a secretary to build a better life for herself, her mother, and her sister. She could type 82 words per minute (on a typewriter!) and take shorthand at 120 words per minute. Her career path led her to E.I. Dupont, where in the words of the plant manager Mike Lazo, she became “the best damn secretary on the plant”. She met the love of her life and married him two months later on Dec 26, 1953, at the Dutch Reform Church in Upper Saddle River, NJ. They built their small family in Sayreville and later Howell, NJ. At their Howell home, they installed an Olympic-size swimming pool which was the site of many rambunctious pool parties with their good friends Vince, Lil, Stan, Joanne, Lynn, Linda, and all the kids. Life was challenging but good. Sadly, Madeleine’s husband was killed by a drunk driver in February 1985 on Rt. 34 in Holmdel, NJ. She carried on, but never stopped missing him. Madeleine has joined her husband, Ned; her mother, Marguerite; her brothers, Junie and Bud; and many other members of her family. She leaves her children, Ned Hamilton and Sherree Mongelli; her daughter-in-law Hye Kyoung; her son-in-law, Victor Mongelli; her grandchildren, Janette McGuire, Stacey Ferro, Daniel Hamilton, and Suzanne Mongelli; her two great-grandsons, Liam McGuire and Ethan Ferro; her sister, Octavia Prout; and her sister-in-law, Maria Jenkins. Her family wants to express their sincere gratitude to Dr. Timothy Fagan, the best primary care doctor; Dr. Paul Tierstein and his staff at Scripps Green Clinic La Jolla for giving her 5 additional years with us through the Edwards Transcatheter Heart Valve Clinical Trial, Casa de la Luz Hospice and caregivers Melissa Diegel, Christa Weidenschilling and Louise Pollock. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.