Innovative founder of Atlanta, Ga.-area Sports and Imports Collision served in leadership positions on the boards of numerous industry organizations.
Gene Lee Hamilton, founder of Sports and Imports Collision in Duluth, Ga. passed away Sunday at the age of 71. Hamilton started his career in the industry in automobile sales then later opened Sports and Imports Inc. a used car and wholesale vehicle business. Shortly afterward in the early 1980s, he founded his first collision repair facility, Sports and Imports Collision.
Gene Hamilton, seen in this 2004 file photo demonstrating a scooter employees at Sports and Imports used to speedily traverse the large facility, passed away Sunday at the age of 71. The scooters were just one of many innovations Hamilton made to improve his business and the industry.
Throughout his time in the collision repair industry, Gene served in many leadership positions of organizations that sought to improve the industry.
Hamilton was a founder of the Georgia Collision Industry Association in his home state. He was a longtime participant in the Collision Industry Conference and a board member of the National Auto Body Council.
Hamilton was a 1998 inductee in the Collision Industry Hall of Eagles. He was chairman of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists in 2000-2001. He served as chair of the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) Board of Directors in 2003-2004 and also served on the board of the I-CAR Education Foundation.
Hamilton is survived by his mother, Norma Hamilton, daughters Michelle Coombs and Jeanette Hamilton, sons in law Bobby Coombs and Andrew Langmaid, grandsons Joshua Harvey and Jacob Coombs, and great grandchildren Taylor Harvey and Riley Popejoy.
A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, October 26, 2017 at 12:00 PM. at Ashton Gardens located at 260 Peachtree Industrial Blvd. Sugar Hill, GA 30518
In lieu of flowers, the family request you consider memorial gifts to either Alzheimer’s Association or The Atlanta Ronald McDonald House.
Sad news! Gene was a good man and a leaves a solid legacy in our industry! God bless you Gene!