Dr. Horace Thomas Hambrick, retired Georgetown College Professor of History and Scott County farmer, passed away Sunday, July 9th, 2017. He was born June 5th, 1927 in Georgetown, Kentucky and was the son of the late Horace Grover and Sara Thomas Hambrick. He was a 1945 graduate of Garth High School and was a World War II Navy Veteran who served from 1945 to 1946. He was a 1949 graduate of Georgetown College and received his M.A. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1953 from the University Of Kentucky. He taught history for 47 years beginning in 1949 at Georgetown College, which included 26 years as chairman of the History Department. Dr. Hambrick served as chairman of the Faculty at Georgetown from 1973 to 1980 and as faculty elected representative to the College Board of Trustees from 1973 to 1985. He was sponsor of the International Relations Club and Phi Alpha Theta History honorary society. He was a member and also faculty advisor to the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. In 1973 and 1986 he served as Chairman of Faculty and Administrative Fund Campaigns and was a recipient of Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Georgetown College. He had sabbatical leaves at Oxford University in England in 1982 and 1989. In 2010 he was elected along with his wife, Maribeth Porter Hambrick, to the Georgetown College Hall of Fame. A lifelong member and deacon of the Georgetown Baptist Church, he had served as chairman of Deacons, church moderator, treasurer and as a Sunday School teacher. He was a member and Charter President of the Scott County Historical Society founded in 1957 and was a director of Farmer’s Bank and Trust Company (now United Bank) from 1962 to 2015. Dr. Hambrick was a past member of the Scott County Museum Board and was a 40 year member of the Georgetown Cemetery Board. Horace is survived by his wife of more than sixty-six years, Maribeth Porter Hambrick; a son, Horace Porter (Willow) Hambrick, M.D.; a daughter, Mary Burch (Wes) Ratliff; a sister, Mary Hambrick Overall; eight grandchildren, Logan Hambrick, Amanda Hambrick (Graham) Ashcraft, Erin (Thomas Brawner) Hambrick, Gentry Hambrick, Rhodes Hambrick, Sarabeth Ratliff (John) Pollom, Amy (Kyle) Kessens and Michael Ratliff; eight great-grandchildren, Amie Rae Katta, William Wesley Pollom, Charles Thomas Pollom, Zane Porter Ashcraft, Levi Davis Ashcraft, Avery Blair Brawner, Skyler Rae Hambrick Ashcraft and Abdimalik Rhodes Majid. Visitation will be Friday, July 14th, from 5 to 8 pm at Johnson’s Funeral Home. Services will be held 11:00 am Saturday at Georgetown Baptist Church officiated by Rev. Alan Redditt, Rev. Ken Holden, Rev. Richard Weekly and Dr. Dwaine Greene. Burial will be in Georgetown Cemetery with the committal service officiated by Rev. Amanda Hambrick Ashcraft. Serving as pallbearers will be Dr. Wes Ratliff, Dr. Lindsey Apple, Lewis Bradley, Rhodes Hambrick, Michael Ratliff and Asa Overall. Honorary pallbearers will be Dave Griffith, Dick Carlton, Dr. John Blackburn, Rollie Graves, Gervis Showalter, Bob Barlow, Dr. Robert Culbertson, Dr. Matt Birdwhistell, Wayne Murphy, Dr. Bob Davis, Dr. Jack Reed, Henry Hall, Ryburn Weekley, Quint Meek, Billy Brannock, Dr. Paul Beasley, Dr. Robert Porter and Buddy Albright. Memorial contributions may be directed to Georgetown Baptist Church, 209 South Hamilton Street, Georgetown, Kentucky, 40324 or Georgetown College, 400 East College Street, Georgetown, Kentucky 40324.
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