Michael D. Hampton, 58 of King George, passed away on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in VCU Medical Center, after losing the battle with pancreatic cancer.

Michael was born in San Bernardino, California and the outdoors was his happy place.  Being the middle of 5 brothers in their army family, he always spoke fondly of their stay in Hanau, Germany.  There was a hill nearby their Sportsfield Housing Area where the boys attached a rope swing and only their friends were allowed to swing.  They had huge military inner tubes that they would get inside for a harrowing ride down that hill.  If they managed to make it to the bottom without crashing, walking was a sturdy NOPE due to the dizzy factor.  They also dug tunnels into the hill side which were strategically placed under thick bushes with the dirt hauled away so as to keep their special spot a secret.

Catching lizards, wrangling snakes, playing with beetles, and brewing sour tea from unripe bitter green plum tree fruit all under the beautiful sun.  The boys were always outside.

The family lived in Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma for a time where there were lots of hills and ponds to explore.  Fishing with a can of corn and a hook on a string, the boys would build a fire and eat fresh caught blue gill and whatever was left of the corn.  But their favorite spot was a cow pond in a field just off post where they would swim almost everyday and catch bronze colored bullhead catfish for twilight dinner by a fire.

Later, they lived in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, in the Douge Creek housing area next to the woods within a short walk to the Potomac River.  With all of nature as their playground, they made forts, another tree swing, foraging & fishing a plenty.

Life eventually brought Michael to Colonial Beach, Virginia.  Time spent with his brothers was dearly cherished as their home life was not pleasant.

In the mid-80s, after getting his GED, Michael joined the Army National Guard 229^th Engineers in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  And eventually worked for C. W. Wright Construction where his crew put in the power for the “new” and only hotel in Dahlgren at the time.  While at lunch, he wanted to speak to the pretty lady behind the counter at the McDonald’s but the place was far too busy.  So, his best friend James Tabron brought them together with a hand-written letter and on October 27^th, 1990, Michael & Theresa married.

Over the next 34 years, Michael and Theresa raised three amazing children, Ely, Christopher, and James in the house they had built in Bayberry Estates.  Driving vacations around the mid-west and yearly family visits in Lawton, OK, were intermingled around deployments to Bosnia, the Pentagon, Afghanistan, and Iraq all whilst working as a Jail Officer for over 17 years at Peumansend Creek Region Jail in Caroline, VA.  Upon the closer of PCRJ which ended his career, he begrudgingly became the house-spouse.  Honey do’s, helping neighbors, tinkering with father-in-law Bill Sheild, and cutting the grass at the neighborhood medians filled his time.

Michael is survived by his wife of 34 years, Theresa A. Hampton; his children, Ely Ripton (Kate), Christopher Hampton and James Hampton; his siblings, David Hampton (Tammy), Errol Hampton (Cissy), Brian Hampton (Anna), Alex Hampton (Cara), Cristene Haytor, Deva Hampton, Jeff Hampton (Kaisha), Ji Hampton and Toni Jones; numerous nieces and nephews and his faithful friend “Bear”.

A celebration of Michael’s life will take place on Friday, November 15^th at Storke Funeral Home in King George. An open casket viewing will take place from 1:00 – 2:00pm, followed by another hour of closed casket visitation with the family. At 3:00pm the Virginia Army National Guard will render military honors. After honors, his friend and former co-worker, Pastor Steve Nelson will lead a time of remembrance. Following this service, the family will host a catered reception until 7:00pm.  There will also be a video camera for anyone wanting to record a message or story for the family to enjoy.

In lieu of flowers, the family would love to have potted flowering perennials to complete the gardens that Michael was unable to finish.