Mr. Willie E. Hampton

Mr. Willie Earl Hampton, was born October 4, 1954, to proud parents, Jessie and Fletie Hampton in Kalamazoo, MI. He attended Kalamazoo Public Schools and graduated from kalamazoo Central High School. After graduating high school, he later attended and graduated from Davenport Business College. Willie was a father, salesman, husband, brother and a child of God. After going through life's ups and downs, he turned his life around. While raising his two sons, Atiba and Shaboo, working and a janitor at Brite and Clean laundry mate, and attending Davenport Business College all at the same time, Willie knew he had a goal in life. He also attended meeting at the Safe House regularly, which kept him straight, and helped him meet his goal. He later met Carolyn Smiley and her two children Chris and Andrea, and they became family. They were married June 5, 1993. willie set out on a rocky road of life. He knew where he had been but didn't know where he was going, until a light of hope touched him. Through this light of hope and understanding, he became to know his life's mission. Willie was also a multi-task person and he was a "magnate" to people. He was a soft-spoken person who spoke the truth about life and what you could do to better yourself. He became a gifted speaker to a large audience who needed to heart the truth. Willie was once the founder of the Safe House of Kalamazoo, and established a Safe House in Benton Harbor, MI. He also helped out at a Safe House in Decatur, AL, before his illness. Willie clean and sober for 22 years. He was called by his wife Carolyn, "Wil-lie"; his father called him "Samboo" as a child; people from the East Coast called him "Chocka, The Dog Gone Rocker"; his niece called him "World"; his friends called him, "Mr. Hampton", "Hamp" and "Earl"; and God called him, "My son". Whatever name he was called, he was "one-in-a million". Willie's Chapter in the Book of Life will last forever to those who knew him. He had no regrets about his life and is at peace with himself. He was a fighter from the beginning to the end. With God by his side his "Mission was Accomplished". Willie was preceded in death by: his parents, Jessie and Fletie Hampton; Rosie (Dunning) Price; Lizzie (Barbara) Hampton; Jessie James Dunning; and Willie Jr. Willie leaves tocherish his memory: his wife, Carolyn; 3 sons, Atiba (Kim) Hodges all of Kalamazoo; Christopher Smiley of Decatur, AL and Willie Earl Burnett; 2 daughters: Adnrea (Kendrick) Burk of Decatur, AL and Melisha Robinson of Kalamazoo; 4 brothers, Evangelist John (Pastor Bobette) Hampton; Charles (Margaret) Hampton; Jessie Hampton jr.; and Harold Hampton all of Kalamazoo; 2 sisters: Mary (Maurice-Reco) Tidwell; and Lula Jones of Kalamazoo, MI; mother-in-law, Sylvia Morris; 2 sister-in-laws and brother-in-laws all of Decatur, AL; and host of aunts, uncle, nieces, nephews, cousin and friends.

Mr. Willie E. Hampton

October 4, 1954 - November 24, 2010