Margie Hamilton was born in Decatur Illinois and grew up in Middleton Wisconsin. She excelled as an athlete, being a founding member of Middleton High School's first girl's golf team. Margie graduated from Middleton High School in 1980 then attended UW Madison for two years before deciding to move to Florida. She graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University with a degree in Environmental Science in 2009. She also received her GIS certification from Penn State. She spent much of her time in Florida working with a commercial landscaper. She was passionate about wildlife and loved animals. In her free time she worked with the tortoises at Barefoot Beach in Naples and assisted with the study and protection of the Sea Turtles that came ashore to bury their eggs.
