Saratoga Springs, NY- Robert Howard Hamlin, 82, passed away on Sunday, April 20, at his home in Saratoga Springs, ending a difficult battle with leukemia.

Born in Keeseville, NY, to parents George and Victoria Hamlin, he was the oldest with two sisters, Fay and Judy. When asked where he was from originally, he would say he was from a town up north you've probably never heard of. And he loved it when someone knew where Keeseville was. Bob was an altar boy in his church when he was younger and played basketball in high school. He was always a worker - at the bowling alley, the Tastee Freez, and the Grand Union. He went hunting, fishing, and ice fishing with his Dad. He got his first deer at the age of 15, which had to be tagged by someone else (s-h-h).

In 1966 he married Carolyn, his wife of almost 59 years. In 1969 and 1976 he welcomed two daughters: Stephanie and Susan, respectively. In 1972, bought a house in Saratoga Springs. There was a blur of dance classes, recitals, music concerts, Girl Scouts, field hockey and swim practices, proms, etc. We were busy! When meeting the girls, people would say they felt like they had known them all their lives because Bob talked about them so much. Neighbors of 50 plus years have become like extended family. We've mourned the loss of parents, celebrated graduations, weddings, the birth of kids and later, grandkids.

Bob was a bartender in Saratoga Springs over many years. He made a lot of friends bartending at various establishments, including the Old Firehouse, Ash Grove Inn, Holiday Inn, Panza's, and Knights of Columbus. He was once dismissed from Jury Duty because he knew several people from both sides of the process.

Stephanie married Stephen in 1996, someone we think the world of. And then there were grandsons. And if you thought he talked about his daughters, he talked about Sean and Nathan even more! We were busy all over again with baseball and basketball games, Eagle Scout ceremonies, graduations from high school and college, etc.

He was a Yankee fan his whole life, and a Rams football fan. There were many conversations about sports. He loved hunting with friends he had known for many years at Hunting Camp in Willsboro. He enjoyed bowling in different leagues he was in. He taught grandsons, Sean and Nathan how to bowl (and play poker) when they were little. He enjoyed golf and thought the best league he had ever been in was the one started by Bob Spratt at the Knights of Columbus, ending the day with a great 'Joe Fredette dinner' enjoyed by members. He always said that the golf scores weren't the greatest, but we had a lot of laughs. He followed golf and football. He loved horse racing - a fan of a horse, the rider, the trainer, or owner.

Bob worked at the Department of Taxation and Finance for 35 years, working with great people and making life-long friends. Afterward he worked for NYRA, clocking horses on the Oklahoma Training Track for 17 years. He declared it "the best job I've ever had". Later he worked at Brookhaven Golf Course and enjoyed seeing everyone he knew.

He was a member of the Church of Saint Peter and the Knights of Columbus.

Bob was predeceased by his parents George and Victoria Hamlin, a sister Carol, who died at birth, his sister Judy Reed (Brian) of Rochester, NY.

He is survived by his wife Carolyn Kaye (Hoke); his daughters, Susan Lara and Stephanie Lynn Hesler (Stephen); his grandsons, Sean Robert and Nathan Paul; his sister, Fay Seessel (Jerry); as well as several nieces, nephews, extended family members and many friends who will miss him dearly. Also survived by the dog he didn't think he wanted, but became his constant companion, "Puppy".

Relatives and friends may call 9:30am – 11:00am on Friday, April 25, 2025 at the Church of St. Peter, 241 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00am.  Burial will be private and at the convenience of the family.

The family would like to thank the staff at New York Oncology and Hematology in Clifton Park along with the staff at Albany Medical Center, D4, and later Hospice, for their compassionate and extraordinary care. They told us over and over how much they loved him.

Donations can be made to the Church of Saint Peter, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Community Hospice, or to the charity of your choice.