Honoring the Life and Legacy of
Molly Roth Hamaker
Obituary
Molly Roth Hamaker, 68, died at home surrounded by her loving family on February 4, 2022, in Oak Park, IL. She lived in Walnut Creek, CA, for 35 years before moving her multigenerational household cross-country to Illinois last year, despite the pandemic and her struggle with pancreatic cancer.
Molly led a dynamic life, balancing family, work, friends and community involvement. Motivated to make the world a better place, especially for her children and grandchildren, Molly applied her remarkable energy, smarts, initiative, and gift of the gab to worthy projects both big and small. She placed a high priority on the people in her life, connecting readily and forming many lasting friendships over the years. Molly will be missed by all who knew her and remembered for her generosity, kindness and sense of a greater good.
Born in 1953 in Kansas City, KS, Molly also spent many childhood summers in Brooklyn, NY, with her grandparents. In 1969, at age 16, she went away to Webster College in St. Louis, MO. After marrying in 1971, she moved with her first husband, Dave, to Lawrence, KS, where daughters Dawn and Alita were born. In 1983 she married Charlie Hamaker, and two years later, following the birth of daughter Irene, the family moved to Walnut Creek, CA, where son Zach was born.
A natural collaborator and leader, she was just 21 years old in 1974 when she co-founded and became the first manager of the Community Mercantile, a cooperative natural foods grocery store and local institution still operating in Lawrence today. She was a work collective member until her departure from the co-op in 1982.
In between working and raising four kids, Molly continued to pursue her college degree. She graduated with a BA in 1990, on the same day her oldest daughter graduated from high school. She went on to earn an MA in educational psychology in 2002, the same year her youngest daughter graduated from high school.
Molly practiced as a school psychologist only briefly, but her interest in education was long-standing. As a parent she had been involved in alternative elementary school programs in Kansas in the 1970s as a founding board member for the Lawrence Open School and in California in the 1990s as an early participant and board president at Parkmead Active Learning School (PALS) in Walnut Creek.
In 2006, Molly entered the mental health field as a founding board member of Putnam Clubhouse, a community-based program for adults recovering from serious mental illness. Inspired by her first-hand experience with the lack of resources available to families and their loved ones suffering from mental illness, she served as executive director for much of her time with the Clubhouse until her retirement in 2019.
While her community impact was extensive, Molly’s primary work for more than 25 years was as an independent business development consultant, focusing on small organizations and individuals whose missions she admired. Her interest in food and wellness continued into her California years where she promoted farmer’s markets, worked professionally with Frances Moore Lappé and Mollie Katzen (two of her early food heroes), and co-founded and sold the online store Natural Candy Store with two of her daughters.
Molly relished her memories of hitchhiking through Europe as a teenager. When her children were older, she traveled extensively with Charlie, prioritizing locales where she could indulge in her love of snorkeling. She also enjoyed seeking out vegan restaurants in the cities she visited around the world.
Molly will be dearly missed by her devoted husband of 38 years, Charlie; children Dawn, Alita, Irene and Zach; granddaughters Frankie and Dora; brother Clifford; and half-sisters Sara and Elisheva. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bobbie and George, and her brother Donald.
A virtual Celebration of Life was held on March 6, 2022. For more information and to share memories, please see below.
Virtual Celebration of Life
& Online Reception
Recorded Sunday, March 6, 2022
The Hamaker family invites you to view the virtual Celebration of Life Service & Reception honoring Molly’s life and legacy.
The Virtual Celebration of Life for
David Leon Sheets
Recorded Feb 26, 2021
Goodness of God - David Sheets Memorial Choir
This song embodies the way David Sheets lived his life. In every situation, no matter the difficulty, he would proclaim God’s goodness.
David Sheets lived a life devoted to Jesus. He spent the majority of his career as a music minister & choir director in churches around the US. The Sheets family put out a call for anyone who had served with David to join a virtual choir in his honor. What you see here is just a small picture of his legacy impact on the Kingdom of God. We pray this song blesses you and encourages you today.
Slide Show
Photo Gallery
In Lieu Of Flowers Please Consider Donating:
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN)
This is the organization Molly turned to for guidance during her difficult journey. In addition to providing patient services, PanCAN funds critical research and advocacy in the fight against pancreatic cancer.
Note: An annual fundraising walk called “Move for Molly” is being organized by Molly’s cousins in honor of her birthday in June. It’s a virtual event so folks can walk when and where convenient. More info to come. The button below takes you to her page where you can donate anytime to contribute to the fundraising goal.
What an incredibly moving, heartfelt and uplifting service for an amazing woman. We are so glad to have had the honor to attend such a meaningful, beautiful celebration of Molly’s life, personality and accomplishments. The delightful photos and music added so much to all the presentations. We are so deeply sorry for your loss of such a phenomenally loving, dedicated mom and advocate for her family and the communities she has lived in. She was an inspiration to so many. May your memories sustain you in this very tough time. We are with you in loving spirit, virtual hugs and prayers.
What a beautiful, heart wide open celebration of Molly’s light and the way it shone through others and will be carried by us all
That was a beautiful tribute fo Molly. Sincere condolences to all her family and friends.❤
More memories of our times with Molly & Charlie.
Dean & Lori Gelvin
Thank you so very much for organizing and including the many friends and family giving us the opportunity to share in the life and memories of Molly. It was a beautiful event so fitting to who Molly was and with the people who were in her sphere of life and love. With love yet with heartbreak on the loss of one of the most impactful women one would have been blessed to have crossed paths …
Lori & Dean Gelvin
Thank you so much for including me in Molly’s Celebration of Life. She is/ was one of the most unique individuals I have ever met. I learned so much from her about tolerance and inclusion. PALS survived thanks to Molly. I agree with Dawn. I thought she would live on. But after the service I know she does in all the people who loved her so much. I am fortunate after all these years that she took time to reconnect with me in her last year. Her lovely family is her biggest legacy. Love to you all.
Gregg McVicar here with Gabriela. Molly and family were very much a part of our community web: Gabriela became friends with Molly in graduate school and she became one of our first friends in town. Irene became friends with our daughter Sierra and Charlie and I were colleagues at St. Mary’s College. But the main thing I wanted to highlight is the inspiration Molly provided to me as I was just starting my own business. She was the first entrepreneur I knew. Seeing her do what she loved with so much energy and freedom gave me a role model — to see independence more as strength than as a risk. Thank you Molly!
Blessings to the Hamaker family and thank you for sharing Molly with me and for inviting me to attend the beautiful celebration of Molly’s life. What a joy and treasure she was to all of us. I’m a better person having known her. I will reflect upon our relationship on my birthday June, 1 as we were born the same day and year, her memory will not be forgotten.
Thank you for including me in this incredibly moving tribute to an sensational woman. Sending so much love to the entire family. Giving you all huge hugs from California ♥️
That was a beautiful memorial. I’m so glad for Zoom that I could be there and hear about Molly as well as pay tribute to her life. When Putnam was 6-7 years old, Molly and the Putnam Clubhouse helped the California Clubhouse in San Mateo get started by convincing our County to fund a Clubhouse here. Her mentoring and willingness to share the Putnam experience went a long way toward demonstrating the power of the Clubhouse model. I will always be grateful for Molly’s support. And yes, she became a friend as well as a mentor.
I knew Molly through the Pals Program at Parkmead School and she was always so friendly and nice. She gave me suggestions for my mother-in-law when she needed care. Molly is a beautiful woman and I send my condolences to all her family and friend.
I didn’t know Molly long & it was mainly through Facebook. (I am Jamil Nelson’s aunt.) But, because Irene is special, I knew Molly was too. You’ve given her a lovely tribute.
My parents and Irene’s parents were close, and Irene and I would often play together as kids while our families visited. Even today, I still remember the kindness and endless patience Molly showed me whenever I came over. She was a wonderful woman with a generous heart, just like her daughter Irene. ❤️
Much love to the whole family! Our family is so grateful for the time we had with the Hamakers as neighbors. We love and adore Molly, Charlie, Irene, Alita, Zach, Frankie and Dora.
The world has lost a remarkable woman! I am so grateful to have met the Hamaker/Nelson family in Walnut Creek. Molly is the reason I decided to buy my little house, almost next to theirs. She convinced me that Acorn Court was the right place to raise a child. We miss all of you. Thank you for Molly’s authenticity and enthusiasm.
That was a wonderful celebration of life
Love you all
Laura Vergeront
I’m so grateful for the family and home that Molly and Charlie created. Alita was my most important and influential friend during our early adolescence, and our friendship has profoundly shaped my life even after we went on our separate paths.
Molly’s house was my second home at a time when my own family was chaotic and difficult, and she modeled for me a way to live with creativity and integrity. Molly’s family was a safe haven from the trauma of entering womanhood, and inspired me to believe that women can create a life that protects us from the misogynist culture we live in. Molly taught me everything I knew about food — I’m pretty sure the first time I tasted pesto was at her house — and Alita taught me everything I know about art.
Molly and Charlie trusted me to watch Irene and Zach when they were little, and I will always love them and think of them often. When Alita contracted mental illness, I knew Alita would be okay because Molly was so calm, capable, committed, and always supportive and proud of Alita.
Thank you, Molly, Alita, Charlie, Dawn, Irene, and Zach, for being such a beautiful family, welcoming, inspiring, and challenging me during a formative time in my life.
Molly was such an amazing woman! Her energy was infectious. She’s a beautiful spirit and I was so moved by her love of her family.
My sincerest condolences to the entire family–you were Molly’s life!
I’m so happy to be invited to this tribute; Molly was a great influence in my life. She will be so missed.
She was a mover and a shaker. Got to know her during the early days of the Clubhouse. She was an advocate for those who suffer with serious mental illness. A life well lived. She will be missed by all who knew her.