Frank Hamaker

[HamakerBoy]

Frank Hamaker passed away yesterday, July 15, 2014 from a massive heart attack

Frank Hamaker hired many people off the street giving them great career opportunities.  He changed my life for the better and so many others.  I found Frank always honest with everyone and helpful to most.  I'll miss him greatly and offer his family and many caring friends my sincere condolences.  I've spoken with Frank once or twice a year for many years just to catch up and stay in touch.

I've never met anyone who enjoyed life more.  I rememer working San Onofre with Frank, Gary Peckham, and a huge crew of talented, smart, and fun HP's and Decon techs in the early 80's.  What a pair Frank and Peckham made...too funny!

Jane, Clay, and family...my thoughts are with you (and Frank).  Couldn't write this without tearing up... I haven't seen Frank for many years but knowing that I can no longer pick up a phone and hear him tell me about his "fishing" (or not) days, his family updates, his fatherly advice and catching him up on what I've been up to, saddens me.  I miss you Frank!

Rock Nelson

[Rennhack]

Rock,

Thanks for sharing.  I never got the privilege of meeting Frank, but he is surely an icon in the industry.  I've heard stories about him for 25 years.

[Smart People]

I've worked with Frank a couple times. He was a legend in the business and a great guy. My heart goes out to his family in their time of loss.

[Eric_Bartlett]

Worked closely with Frank for many years when he was my Coordinator and I was his recruiter - he taught me alot about the way this industry worked back then and how people in the industry ticked.  He was one of a kind and he will be missed.  God speed Frank and God bless.

[bill10249]

I worked with Frank all up and down the east coast and Palo Verde back in the old CE days also with Bartlet he will be missed.  he is prob. organizing an HP crew for heavenly outages as we speak.

[radbrat]

Frank was a mentor for me during my early, learning stage in this industry. As quick to praise and just as quick to smack me upside the head. I will certainly miss you Frank.

[Marlin]

   Wow!!! I have not seen Frank in a long time but I will miss him I worked with him at several plants including Calvert Cliffs and the HP CO-OP in 1981 (?) that did not pan out. Frank was a one of a kind. This is just a new adventure for Frank.
  HMCS(SS) Frank Hamaker retired from the Navy the year I was in Nuke School 1971 and was a corpsman in the nuclear Navy before ELTs took over much of the Radcon Chemistry duties.

[Wlrun3]

I was hired by Frank to work the Dresden recirculation pipe replacement in 1985. The word legendary is sometimes over used in our industry. In this case it's truly fitting. Frank's passing marks the end of an era.

[SloGlo]

aye remember frank with grate fondness. we did trojan in the spring of 82. it was the best of times. sum of those card games, booraye was it ?, were quite the experience. he had a weigh of throwing an excellent outage party and made it appear effortless. raising whatever it is in my hand to his memory.

[Rennhack]

booraye

I haven't played that in so long, I don't remember the rules.

[incrediblehulk]

Wife and I both worked for Frank throughout the nineties. A sweet guy who's bark was definately worse than his bite. If he liked you, there was no site coordinator who could get more done for you...if he didn't, God help you.
Often wondered how he was doing- sad to hear he's gone, but what a life he had!

[gravy58]

Frank got me started and took care of me in my early years. His famous words were "Son there's 1000 other people out there just waiting to take your job." You never wanted to get a (GSF) "go see Frank" that usually meant you were getting a (DFR) "down the F#@king road." If you showed up when you should and did your job right he would take good care of ya.Frank Hamaker was truly an Icon in the industry. They don't make em like him anymore. We'll miss you frank.

[RadEngineer]

Colorful, cultured, a wise rascal...and a guy whose character was through and through...

He lent support to us "youngsters" at St. Lucie in '86....

I remember having to retake the MMPI...he took me aside...."Listen, D, we're not like these other people...they don't see the world with the depth we do....don't think too deeply on these answers....just keep it light and simple." Since then I adopted the Pat Boone method of MMPI-taking, and am thankful to Frank that Pat has never had to re-take the test since!

Our lives are better for the spirit he brought to the place...love you, Frank. Thanks.

[Hasher]

I haven't been on in a while and just saw this.  My first coordinator and I have had a few.  Including you Rock.  I was pleased to see you had kept in touch with Frank and that he never changed.  Frank gave us opportunities to learn and if you grabbed it, he supported us when we inevitably moved on.  He was old school, but that was how it ought to be.  I still tell Frank stories and I still apply lessons I learned from him from my very first outages.  I am saddened by this news.

[fraz-me]

GSF haven't heard that in awhile sorry to hear of his passing. Frank helped me get my first Junior HP job will always be grateful. He was one of a kind and willl be missed. RIP Hammer

[djrichards]

Wow. It's been a very long time since I've been on the forum and the first thing I see is this sad notice.

I knew Frank all the way to our shipyard days together and I'm truly saddened to hear of his passing.

A wonderful guy and a true asset to the industry.

RIP, my old friend.

DJ Richards

[1hotlovingman]

Even though I have worked in this industry (and in Health Physics) for over 40 years, I don't look often enough at the "Fallen" section of NW.  Believe me, there are many people out there who remember Frank Hamaker.  I worked with him when he first left Pascagoula and was managing the outage at San Onofre in 1980.  He was exactly as described by the many people who have responded to this post . . . not a lot that I can ad.  I wish I had the chance to reminisce with Frank before he was gone.  In fact, there are many of the techs and Supervisors from the 70s, and 80s that I had the chance to talk to.  Leon McClung (leon.mcclung@fbports.com)