Ardith P. Hamilton (69) passed away on Thursday, February 22, 2018. She was a long-time resident of Colorado Springs, beginning in her childhood years as well as in retirement and formerly a resident of Troy, Ohio.
Ardith was born on September 30, 1948 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Helen (Richey) Paul. Before moving to Colorado Springs at age 11, she lived in Butte, Montana and began ballet classes at age 3 and received her 1st pair of figure skates at 7. They moved to Colorado Springs for Ardith to continue her ice skate training at the Broadmoor. Ardith was a graduate of Cheyenne Mountain High School, class of 1966 and skated as a collegiate at Bowling Green University in Ohio. Competing at the national level in 1967, she was rated sixth in the country. Ardith joined the professional Ice Capades as the “Queen of the Ice Capades” in 1968 through 1969 before marrying Alexander B. Hamilton of Troy, Ohio in 1969. Later, she earned her Master’s Degree in Health Administration from Xavier University in 1993.
Ardith found her niche in fundraising efforts hired by several different organizations over the years: American Red Cross, Upper Valley Medical Center, Kettering Hospital, Dayton Opera and ultimately landing at Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm in Dayton, Ohio from 2001 to 2015 when she retired. Ardith was instrumental with the $7,000,000 fund raising goal for the Farm Initiative which was constructed and brought on-line with the nation’s first farm-based Head Start preschool as a primary focal point.
After retiring she moved back to her childhood home of Colorado Springs, and started working part-time for American Greetings Company, continued judging skating competitions throughout Colorado as well as the country, volunteering with the Colorado Police Department completing VIN verifications, Executive Board Member of Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers and past board member of her Homeowners Association. In her spare time, she loved reading, sitting on the back porch with neighborhood friends viewing Cheyenne Mountain Range, walking her dog Oliver, making soup and pies for neighbors, visiting her grandkids and enjoying life.
She is survived by her loving children: Adam Hamilton of Hamilton, Ohio and Helen Leigh Scott of Plant City, Florida; her grandchildren: Nicholas and Connor Scott. She was preceded in death by her mother, Helen Richey Paul.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 10am on Monday, February 26 at the Shrine of Remembrance “America the Beautiful” Chapel located at 1730 Fountain Blvd., Colorado Springs, to share in the memories and stories of her life.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Ardith’s name may be made to Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm, 1000 Aullwood Road, Dayton, OH 45414 www.aullwood.audubon.org; Pikes Peak Crime Stoppers, P.O. Box 147, Colorado Springs, CO 80901; or Troy Skating Club, 255 Adams Street, Troy, OH 45373.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” John Muir