GEORGE E. HAMILTON, PORT JERVIS, NEW YORK

George E. Hamilton, age 57, of Port Jervis, NY, passed away on Thursday, October 30, 2008, at home.George was born December 4, 1950 in Port Jervis, NY, the son of George W. and Marion E. Hemmer Hamilton.George was a man who was the traditional unsung hero, working behind the scenes to make sure that the equipment and processes were up and running. He held a number of job titles in his 38 years at the Times Herald-Record in Middletown. Decades ago he was the one who made sure the paper got into type, fixed the machines that set the type, operated the camera that took pictures of the pages to send to the press.As technology advanced, he kept the system running so classified ads could get into the paper. He was a systems technician at the time of his death. In 1994, George came out from behind the scenes to work on the frontlines as he joined newsroom staff in covering the 25th-anniversary Woodstock celebration in Saugerties. For five days and nights, George hunkered down in a tent with a jerry-rigged transmitting unit, sending pictures taken by the five-man Record photo team. Working long into the night George moved more than a hundred photos that chronicled the event in the next day's Times Herald-Record. As the team packed up to leave George commented that it was the most fun he'd had in newspapers in years.George was paid for what he knew, but it was who he knew that was most important to him. At the Times Herald-Record, George knew everyone, talked with everyone and made people throughout the building a part of his circle of friends, acquaintances, folks to talk with.He found a real home in the tech services department and his friends there - Jason, Keith, Fred and Jesse - remember him as a gentle bear of a man, a genuinely good-hearted person who could always be counted on when something needed to be done. To them he was an old dog who was always learning new tricks, and someone who always spoke his mind. It didn't matter whether it was to his friends, ad takers in the classified department or the CEO, George let people know what he was thinking.George had special talents rare among tech crews. He could make even the most novice user feel that they hadn't caused a problem. "The computer got stupid," he'd say, and a reboot would make everything fine.George's friends will miss his soul, his spirit and his friendship.He is a member of St. Mary's R.C. Church, Port Jervis, NY.George is survived by his parents, George and Marion E. Hamilton of Port Jervis; his brother, William Hamilton and his wife, Christine of Londonderry, NH; two sisters, Nancy Hamilton of Wheat Ridge, CO and Catherine E. Hamilton of Middletown, NY; his niece, Elizabeth; his nephew, Timothy; an uncle, Louis Hemmer and his wife, Charlene of Liberty, NY; two aunts, Gloria Hemmer of Jeffersonville, NY and Julia Hemmer of Liberty, NY, and several cousins.A Memorial Blessing Service will be held on Wednesday, November 5, at 11 a.m. at Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home, 154 E. Main St., Port Jervis, NY (845-856-3312), with the Rev. George Hafemann officiating.Private Interment will take place at Pine Hill Cemetery, Sparrowbush, NY.Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice.Arrangements by Knight-Auchmoody Funeral Home. For information, directions or to send condolences to the family, please visit Knight-Auchmoody.com.