Robert Hamel

HAMEL, Robert Carl - age 79, of Fenton, died January 12, 2023. Bob passed away too soon in his 80th year due to an almost 20-year struggle with Parkinson's disease.  Sounds odd to read that, but he was someone you expected to hear about in the local newspaper still working 6 days a week in his 104th year.  He was born the second son into a family of 9 on Henry Street in River Rouge, Michigan.  He worked alongside his father in the trucking business, the gas station business and the liquor business all during his school years and shortly after.  He was well liked as a young man and the quarterback for Our Lady of Lourdes football team.  He dated Elaine Gignac, a cheerleader.  Eventually they got married but didn’t really fall into the stereotype of that kind of couple.  Elaine fit real nicely into his family and within 5 years they had 4 children and bought a house in Allen Park.  From there they moved to Dearborn where Bob owned and operated a Baskin Robbins Ice cream store.  In 1976, they moved to Fenton to purchase and operate a liquor store with Bob’s brother Tom (Locke’s Party Shoppe).  They had another son and settled into and became known in the Fenton area.  Bob later owned a beer and wine distributorship in Flint, as well as building and operating Oliver T’s Gourmet Market in Grand Blanc, and other businesses in the Fenton area.  He was involved in all of his children’s businesses over the years, not only helping in the beginning of them but often the day-to-day workings of them (including The Laundry, CRUST and White’s Landing Marina).  I would be remiss in not saying that Bob was a real nice guy all along the way.  Collectively his kids and grandkids would agree that is the one way most people described him.  But that is really not enough.  Yes, he was a nice guy, but he also was the nice guy you wanted to be with, talk with, see a game with and work with.  Despite his battle with Parkinson's, Bob did work 6 days a week up until about 2 years ago when the disease prevented him from walking and talking.  That was probably the hardest part of the disease for him.  Bob and Elaine were married for 58 years and still lived in Fenton. She survives him as well as all of his children, Chris Hamel (Lora), Mark Hamel (Mike), Matt Hamel, Marybeth Brennan (Chad), Jonathan Hamel (Jessica) and 9 grandchildren. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 11 AM Monday, January 16, 2023 at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church with Fr. David Harvey celebrant. Visitation will be held 3-6 PM Sunday at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 W. Silver Lake Rd., Fenton, MI 48430 where a scripture service will be held at 6 PM Sunday. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Michigan Parkinson Foundation (https://www.parkinsonsmi.org/).