William A. Hamby

William A. “Bill” Hamby, 90, of Albany, GA, passed away Saturday, January 26, 2019 at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, January 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at Sherwood Baptist Church. Rev. Tom Pollock, Mr. Ross Powell and Rev. John Spencer will officiate. Interment will follow in Crown Hill Cemetery with military honors

.Bill was born February 19, 1928, in Calhoun County, MS to the late William Jefferson Hamby and Laura Irene Parker Hamby. He attended Calhoun County Schools and volunteered for military service with the United States Marine Corps in October 1945, retiring in July 1969 as a Master Gunnery Sergeant. Bill served during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In North Korea, he was one of the “Chosin Few” and was awarded the Purple Heart along with several other medals and commendations. Throughout his time in the Marine Corps, Bill served in four of the six Marine Divisions. Toward the end of his military career, MGySgt Hamby moved from Okinawa, Japan to Albany, GA, where he was one of the first to work on the development of the Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany.

After military retirement, Bill and family stayed in Albany where he began a career as the Safety Manager at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company. He retired from Firestone in 1985 and began his “post-retirement” service which included working as an office assistant at Watson Spence Attorneys at Law for thirty years (recently retiring at age 90). In addition, he served as an American Red Cross volunteer wherehe worked over 75 disasters in mass care and logistics. Bill was also a longtime member of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany where he served in the Preschool Sunday School area for over forty years. He was a member of the Chosin Few Organization, the American Legion Post #30, and the Marine Corps Engineer Association.

Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Mollie Ann Hamby, Albany, GA, two sons and their wives, William Glenn Hamby (Karen), Albany, GA, John Thomas Hamby (Julie), Jacksonville, FL, a daughter and her husband, Laura Lea Hatcher (Robert), Lee Co., GA and five grandchildren, Ryan Hatcher, Reid Hatcher and Lea Hatcher (Sweet Cheeks), Alex Hamby and Jason Hamby.Bill was a hero in the true sense of the word. He proudly served his country, his family, his community, and his church. He was a man of his word. If he told you he was going to do something, you could bank on it happening. He enjoyed following the Braves, Falcons, and Bulldogs, reading military history, and playing Dominoes with his family. He could tell a funny story like no other and was known to say, “I always desired to do well, and sometimes did well.” He was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather, and a friend to his part-time cat and his granddog.

The family will receive friends Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. until the funeral hour in the atrium of Sherwood Baptist Church.

Those desiring may make memorials in memory of William A. Hamby to Sherwood Baptist Church, 2201 Whispering Pines Rd., Albany, GA, 31707 or The American Red Cross, 53 Gordon Plaza SW, Atlanta, GA 30310, (1-800-733-2767).