Tamara Maria Hamilton

Tamara Maria Hamilton, 55 years old from Salt Lake City passed away on January 29th 2019 in the comfort of her home after a strong fight against cancer. Tamara was born in Zagreb, Croatia to Jasna Kantura and Vlado Senkovich. Tamara immigrated over to the United States when she was 7 with her father Vlado. She grew up in Fountain Valley, California with her father and stepmother (Julie Senkovich).
Tamara was a bright star, and everyone loved to be around her. She ended up attending Brigham Young University where she graduated with a degree in Education and played volleyball. Since nothing she did in her life was less than spectacular, her career there was nothing short of that. Tamara broke an NCAA record in volleyball and still holds this record today. It was at BYU that she met the love of her life, Lawrence Hamilton. Tamara married Lawrence on May 8, 1983. Tamara gave birth to four beautiful children (Jared, Ashley, Justin and Jordan) who she loved with such fierceness and devoted her life too. Tamara loved to entertain and was always worried that there wouldn’t be enough food for people. She cared so deeply for the ones she loved and always put herself last. Aside from her great love for friends and family she had a great passion for animals. She would have adopted every stray pet in the world if she could, as it was, she had to be stopped from taking every animal home she found. Tamara never believed in giving up or that no was an acceptable answer. Even while her mind was being taken over by one of the worst forms of cancer, she still, to her dying breath, felt she would beat it. “She made broken look beautiful and strong look invincible. She walked with the universe on her shoulders and made it look like a pair of wings.”
Tamara is survived in death by her spouse Lawrence Hamilton, her children: Jared and Ira Hamilton, Ashley and Geoffrey Penrod, Justin and Kaitlin Hamilton and Jordan Hamilton; Grandchildren: Evelyn Hamilton, Noah Penrod, Navie Rue and Rio Hamilton; Parents: Vlado & Julie Senkovich and Jasna & Miro Kantura; Siblings: Natasha Senkovich, Nick and Sue Senkovich, Andrea Senkovich, Marc and Jasmina Kantura, Chris and Ivana Kunej. We are holding a celebration of Tamara’s life on February 2nd 2019 at 11am at High Bench Chapel (910 high bench road, Alpine, Utah). Everyone is welcome to attend to celebrate Tami. In lieu of flowers we are asking that people donate instead to the Tamara Hamilton Scholarship fund to support foster kids going to college. Tami always wanted to help kids that didn’t have the opportunity to have the support of a family and this scholarship will help see that dream through. Information on how to donate is below:
Call: 1-801-581-3720 or 1-800-716-0377 and specify to them that you would like to donate to the Tamara Hamilton scholarship fund.
Online: https://auxiliary.apps.utah.edu/ugive/designation/305, or the “Donate” button to the left.  When you go the site it will ask how much and then in the special instructions you need to put that the donation is for the Tamara Hamilton Scholarship fund.
*This scholarship is through the University of Utah and is a tax write-off.