Claudie "Dean" Audine Hamilton

Claudie “Dean” Hamilton was born in 1944 in Hamilton, Texas. He was the eldest of two children born to Louise and Claudie Vernon Hamilton. Upon moving to Waco, Texas in 1956, Louise and Claudie Hamilton and their two children, Dean and Patricia, moved in across the street from a 7th grade girl named Kathleen Shine.

There is not much of Dean’s life story that doesn’t include Kathy from that point forward, including Dean walking Kathy home most days from North Junior High School. They dated through their high school years at Waco High School and later Baylor University, where Dean graduated with a degree in political science and history. Dean enjoyed art (some of Dean’s charcoal and pencil drawings are displayed in the foyer) and playing the trombone in the school band.

After graduation from Baylor, Dean joined the Air Force in 1964, serving as a Radar Navigator - Bombardier in the B-52 Stratofortress Bomber. Dean and Kathy married in Waco, Texas in 1965. He served four combat tours as a radar navigator flying B-52s over Vietnam. During his Air Force career, Dean and Kathy had four children, three of whom were born while Dean was overseas.

Dean was an accomplished and well-respected career military officer. During his career, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross with 1OLC, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with 1 OLC, Air Medal with 14 OLCs, amongst many other honors. He retired from the military in 1988 as a Lieutenant Colonel after completing an assignment as deputy combat support group commander at K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Gwinn, Michigan.

In 1989, Dean entered civilian life as the legal administrator of Erickson & Sederstrom, PC, in Omaha, Nebraska. Dean successfully managed the business functions of one of Omaha’s larger law firms for over 30 years retiring in December 2020.

Throughout his life as a young man, a military officer, a businessman, a husband, a father and as a grandfather, Dean was driven and guided by his faith in God. He served as a deacon at Bellevue Church of Christ, Marquette Church of Christ, and Southwest Church of Christ. Dean has led countless Sunday School classes, bible studies and small groups throughout his life. However, his true labor of love was serving Southwest Church of Christ as an Elder for over 30 years.

Dean loved God in a way that showed in how he loved Kathy and their family, their church, and their 25 grandchildren. Dean loved to serve Kathy and others selflessly. He liked to sleep in during his retirement, but would wake with Kathy to walk at 5:00 am then return home to continue his rest. Dean traveled with Kathy to watch countless hours of grandchildren’s ballgames, recitals, and graduations. Dean was present and active in the lives of so many, as a husband, father, grandfather, friend, mentor, and elder. The seeds of that presence have been sewn throughout his life and will reap rewards in faith, love, and admiration for years and years to come.

Dean is preceded in death by his parents and his sister. He is survived by his wife Kathleen Hamilton and their four children Joel (Anne) of Colorado; Jennifer (Jeff) Delgado of Papillion; Jonathan (Lisa) of Papillion; and James (Amy) of Lincoln; 25 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

VISITATION Thursday, March 21, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Southwest Church of Christ, 2600 S 124th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144. FUNERAL SERVICE to follow at 10:30 AM. BURIAL at Omaha National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dean's memory may be made to Southwest Church of Christ, 2600 S 124th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68144; or Air Force Aid Society, Inc., 1550 Crystal Drive, Suite 809, Arlington, Virginia 22202.