Reola Geneva Hamarich

Reola “Rae” Geneva Hamarich, 93, of Deepstep, GA, died peacefully Friday, May 2, 2014 at Washington Regional Medical Center, Sandersville, GA.

Ms. Hamarich, born Reola Geneva Adams in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, was the widow of Alvin Edison Waters, Norman George Bentley, and John Hamarich. She was raised in the family home at Deerfield Center, Michigan, and wintered with her family at their homes in Plant City and Cedar Key, Florida. She was a 1934Graduate of the Cedar Key School. During WWII she worked in the Luscombe Aircraft Development defense plant in Trenton, NJ, where she learned to weld airplane parts for the war effort. During this time she was awarded the Navy “E”. After the war she continued to raise a family and work in the lab at the Anchor Thread Company in Yardville, NJ. Later her career led her to be the Librarian at Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory in Princeton, NJ. After retirement she enjoyed working part-time at a bakery in Hamilton Square, NJ.

In 1995 Rae was elected to the Board of Directors of the Jamaica Bay Homeowners Association in Fort Myers, FL and served for four years, one year as Chairperson. She was also the Blood Pressure Screening Coordinator in that community for over 25 years. Locally she was a member of the Deepstep United Methodist Church, and particularly enjoyed being a member of the church’s Young –At-Heart Club.

Survivors include her daughter, Fayette Geneva (Harold) Reynolds of Salvisa, KY, her son, L. Curtis Bentley ( Dr. Susan E. Steele) of Deepstep, and several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral services, as per her wishes, will be privately held at the Deepstep United Methodist Church Cemetery. Rev. Larry Giles will officiate. Her cremains will be interred next to those of her late husband, John.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in her name to the Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. (ARF) 711 S. Wilkinson St., Milledgeville, GA 31061. Funeral arrangements provided by May and Smith Funeral Directors of Sandersville, GA