The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996                TAG: 9603190221
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   32 lines

WILLIE C. HAMBLIN

Willie C. Hamblin

PORTSMOUTH - Sgt. Maj. Willie C. Hamblin, USMC (Ret.), 78, of the first block of Greenbriar Road, died March 17, 1996, in a Portsmouth hospital.

He was born in Maunie, Ill., and retired from the USMC after 30 years. He was a member of Westhaven Baptist Church and was predeceased by Frances Hutchins Hamblin and Anne Wiersdorf Hamblin. He was a member of the Ambassador Club of Portsmouth.

Survivors include two daughters, Margaret Lynn Albertson of Portsmouth and Elizabeth Ann Paulos of Long Beach, Calif.; two sons, William H. Hamblin of Harrisonburg, Va., and Richard H. Hamblin of Virginia Beach, Va.; a sister, Sarah Veatch of Carmi, Ill.; 19 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; a stepson, William E. Froehlich of Portsmouth and stepdaughter, Beth Gilliam of Athens, Ga.

A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Snellings Funeral Home, Churchland Chapel, by the Rev. W. Tom Woods. Burial will be in Olive Branch Cemetery with full military honors. The family will be at the funeral home from 7 to 9 p.m. today and also will be at 32 Greenbriar Road, Portsmouth. Memorial donations may be made to Westhaven Baptist Church or the American Cancer Society.

KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB