Gl "Jay" Hamblin

Loving husband, father and grandfather, GL “Jay” Hamblin, 89 years 11 months, of Grants Pass, Oregon passed away peacefully on July 31, 2016, of heart failure.

GL Hamblin was born August 15, 1926 in Clantonville, Arkansas to Bishop & Pearl Hamblin, the second of five kids. During the Depression the family would make several trips to the West Coast picking fruit. After the family settled in Klamath Falls, GL at age 15, worked for the railroad, firing the steam locomotives even though he was underage. World War II was raging and at age 17 he talked his parents into letting him join the U.S. Navy. He enlisted in Klamath Falls and was sent to basic training at Camp Farragut, just outside of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. After boot camp, he attended Navy gunnery school and was assigned to the Liberty ship USS Leeds as an Armed Guard protecting merchant ships. They were then sent to the invasion of Iwo Jima in the Pacific.

After the war he was discharged in Seattle, Washington and returned home to Klamath Falls where he met and married his beautiful wife, Pearl Joli. They were married in 1947. GL would tell you that they had a wonderful life together. They had two sons, Larry and Bob and in 1953 the family moved from Klamath Falls to Grants Pass.

During his working years, he was employed by the railroad, Grants Pass Laundry, Broers Food Warehouse, Grants Pass Ready Mix, Southern Oregon Concrete Pump Service and started his own concrete finishing business. He worked hard and was well-respected by those who knew him. Many young men received their training from him and he dearly loved each one of them. In his business dealings he stressed honesty, fairness and a job well done.

His greatest passion was hunting and fishing. His talents kept the family provided with game that fed his family and sustained them through many difficult times. Over the 40 plus years that he elk hunted he was able to harvest 22 elk (an unheard of number for most hunters). He also caught many large salmon, bass and other game fish that the family enjoyed. He belonged to the Oregon Hunters Association.

He was extremely proud to be a Navy veteran and would wear his WWII cap all the time. He was able to go on Honor Flights of Oregon and see the World War II memorial in Washington DC 4 years ago with his sons. A high lite of his life. He felt blessed to have the VA for health care. He belonged to the local chapter of the VFW.

He was able to make three or four trips back to the town in Arkansas where he was born and visited friends, family and people he had gone to school with. Crossing the country so many times he was able to remark on how great a country this is. Up until his death he was greatly concerned about the direction our government and society were headed.

He was preceded in death by his parents Bishop & Pearl Hamblin, brother Clint Hamblin and sisters Dorothy Battles and Norma Fox.

Surviving is sister Margret Delong; his wife Pearl and sons Larry Hamblin and wife Micki of Rogue River and Bob Hamblin and wife Darlene of Grants Pass; two granddaughters Noelle Freshner and Danielle Hamblin; one great-granddaughter; and two great-grandsons.

A memorial service will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 20, 2016 at Apostolic Faith Church in Grants Pass with Pastor John Jordan officiating. A graveside committal service will be at 10:00 a.m., Monday, August 22, 2016 at Hawthorne Memorial Gardens. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.