Paul Richard "Dick" Hamrick

Paul Richard “Dick” Hamrick passed away on August 31, 2020, at the age of 94.  Originally from Ellenboro, NC, Dick most recently resided in Clemmons, NC with his wife of 71 years, Betty Hardy Hamrick.  Dick also lived in Forest City and Rutherfordton, NC, as well as Dublin, GA, before making Clemmons his home. 

Dick retired from the US Postal Service (USPS) where he served as a Rural Letter Carrier for more than 25 years, running both Routes 1 and 2 in Ellenboro, NC.  Dick also ran the family hardware and lumber yard, Hamrick, Inc. in Ellenboro.  Prior to his career with the USPS, Dick served in the U.S. Army as a member of the Army Rangers, where he was posted in Germany as part of the Marshall Plan, and saw much of Europe during his military service.  Dick was recalled to the Army during the Korean War, serving in a variety of locations and assignments.

Dick graduated from the then Ellenboro School and attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC where he met Betty.  He also attended Isothermal Community College after retiring from the US Postal Service. 

In addition to raising his family, Dick volunteered much of his time to the community, serving in a number of positions in Lions Club International, including District Governor for District 31C, and the Fraternal Order of Masons (Friendship Lodge, Boiling Springs, NC) where he was a member of the Scottish Rite and the Shrine.  In 2019, Dick was recognized for serving as a Mason for 70 years.

Dick was also a member of the Rutherford County Industrial Development Commission, was elected Mayor of the town of Ellenboro, and appointed by former NC Governor Jim Hunt to service on the NC Highway Commission.  Dick served as Assistant Scout Master for the Boy Scouts of America, in the 1960s and 1970s; and drove the bus for the Marching Cavaliers at East Rutherford High School.

Dick was a member of the Bethel Baptist Church in Ellenboro, the First Baptist Church in Forest City where he taught Sunday-school and drove the church bus on many of the youth mission trips, including summer missions to Colorado and South Dakota.  After retiring from the USPS, Dick moved to Dublin, GA, to manage business operations at Cordell Lumber Company. While there, he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Dublin. He worked at Cordell’s until he turned 80 years of age, eventually relocating to Clemmons to be near family.

Dick is survived by his wife, Betty; his children, Richard (Lori) of Roswell, GA; Roger (Cathy) of Wilmington, NC; Jan (Mark Edwards) of Winston Salem, NC; and Paul (Mary) of Fairfax, VA.  He is also survived by 11 grandchildren (Richard C. Hamrick of Atlanta, GA; Hope Hamrick Biswas of San Francisco, CA; Richard L. Hamrick of Manassas, VA, Robert P. Hamrick of Greensboro, NC; Peyton M. Edwards of New York, NY; Alexander H. Edwards and Ainsley V. Edwards of Winston, Salem, NC; John L. Hamrick, Katherine E. Hamrick, James E. Hamrick and Emily G. Hamrick of Fairfax, VA), 6 great-grandchildren and a number of nieces and nephews. 

Dick was predeceased by his parents, Eldon and Velma Hamrick; his brothers James Hamrick and Robert “Bob” Hamrick, and his sister, Carolyn Hamrick Middlemiss.

In his 94 years, Dick lived life to the fullest.  He occasionally enjoyed a good glass of Scotch with close friends while looking out over the lake and designing a new tool to make work just a little easier around the lumber yard or at home.  He was a terrific story teller who regaled in sharing memories of his years growing up in Rutherford County and a lifetime of adventures with family and friends.  Dick was extremely proud to have served his nation and his community in a number of roles.  But of his many accomplishments, he was most proud of having ensured each of his children completed college, despite the fact they all chose to attend school in Chapel Hill instead of Raleigh.

A private graveside service will be conducted on September 4, 2020 at Bethel Baptist Church in Ellenboro, NC.  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Dick’s memory to the Shriners Hospitals for Children, the American Heart Association, Lions Club International, or the charity of your choice.   

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