Coleen Hamilton

Coleen Hamilton, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, March 3, 2023 at the age of 86 years.

Born to Eldred Reuben and Florence Violet Page Hamilton at the Cottonwood Hospital in Murray, Utah on December 1, 1936, Coleen shared this special day with her twin, Carolyn, who remained her best friend throughout her life. She, Carolyn and their 4 other sisters grew up in Riverton, Utah. Their father was a farmer, so they grew up helping around the house and farm, playing with chickens, making their own dolls and mud pies. She and Carolyn played the saxophone in the 7th and 8th grade band, but later quit to focus their time practicing the piano.

While serving as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the British Mission from November 1959 - June 1961, Coleen used her musical talents playing the piano for various church meetings, playing the organ at the temple, and supervising the Singing Mother’s Tour, the latter being the highlight of her mission. Upon her release, she visited the Holy Land with her parents and sister, Sheila. This experience had a profound impact on her. She reflected on it throughout her life and remained steadfast in her faith until she went back to her heavenly home.

Coleen attended BYU for 2 years and later met Richard Wilford Grotepas at a Valentine’s Dance in 1966. They married shortly thereafter on April 21, 1966 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had 4 children together, but later divorced.

Coleen served as an office administrator at State Farm Insurance Agency for 25 years. She was a huge resource to the agents she worked for and highly admired in the profession for her knowledge and expertise.

Grandma Hamilton’s favorite hobby was playing the piano. She wrote five compositions of her own, 4 of them dedicated to her family. “Grandma’s Love” was submitted to the 2010 Church Music Awards (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) and won a Special Recognition award. She was also known for her lemon jello, giving spirit and her love of service to those in her family, neighborhood, and ward. Although she dealt with chronic pain after breaking her hip in 2015, she would drive friends to medical appointments on days that she did not have her own doctor visits scheduled. She was always looking for ways to serve those around her.

After a stroke in October of 2022, she was initially promised a full recovery, but after a roller-coaster ride dealing with the cycle of chronic pain, experienced a rapid decline.

She is survived by her children: Bryan, Kristine (Dan), Camille, and David (Tonya), 19 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her sisters Cindy, Sheila, Darlene and Janice.

A Memorial Service for family and friends will be held at 3PM in her honor on Friday, March 31, 2023 at the LDS Meeting House, 89 E. 11000 S. in Sandy, Utah. A private family graveside service will have taken place prior to these services. Loved ones and friends may pay tribute at her gravesite located in the Riverton City Cemetery.