Beloved husband, father, uncle, and grandfather James Edward Hamill, Sr. passed away on September 8, 2020. Jim was born in Oak Park, Illinois on November 22, 1932 to James Aloysius Hamill and Marguerite Mortell Hamill. He graduated from Saint Philip High School in 1951 and served in the United States Army from 1954 to 1956, when he was honorably discharged having attained the rank of Private First Class. He attended Wright Junior College in Chicago and then joined Local Union 73 of the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Union. He remained a member for over fifty years. On July 6, 1957 he married the love of his life, Joan Therese Kelleher, at Saint Giles Catholic Church in Oak Park, Illinois.
Jim worked in various vocations including sheet metal worker, real estate broker, property manager, and entrepreneur. He moved his family to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida in 1974, where he discovered orchid gardening and filled the yard with hundreds of blooming plants. He lived there until 1985, when he returned to the Chicago area and the SMART Union, where he worked with his younger brother Jackie at E.H. Gustafson & Co. until his retirement in 1995. After retiring, Jim spent time traveling including trips to Glacier National Park in Montana, Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, and Cooperstown, New York. He enjoyed many years of retirement in Arlington, Texas, where he took computer classes at community college and enjoyed many visits with his children and grandchildren, and more recently family Zoom calls. Jim was devoted to his grandchildren, and lovingly became a serial plasma donor when two of them were in need. Jim loved bowling, gardening, tinkering, photography, coaching his son in soccer and baseball, watching football, and finding a bargain. He loved music from many artists including Willie Nelson, Diana Krall, and John Prine. He was a lifelong fan of the Chicago Cubs and Bears.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents and brother John “Jackie” Hamill. He is survived by his beloved wife of 63 years Joan Hamill, their four children, James Edward Hamill, Jr. and wife Diane Wilkens, Margaret Mary Hamill Wilson and husband Larry Wilson, Mary Jo Ann Hamill Cantu and husband Ramon Miguel Cantu, and Daniel Timothy Hamill and wife Stacey Marie Trummel Hamill. He took great pride and joy in his seven grandchildren, Brian James Wilson, Rachel Louise Wilson, Joseph Volpe Cantu, Alicia Marie Cantu, Anna Marguerite Cantu, Timothy Phillip Hamill and Zachary James Hamill. He was also close to his brother’s children; John, Mary Loretta, Paul, Patrick, Tommy and Bill Hamill.
Visitation will be Tuesday, September 15 from 4-6 p.m. at the Moore Bowen Funeral Home in Arlington, Texas, with a memorial service at 5:30. Jim will then be interred in the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery with a graveside service on Wednesday, September 16 at 1:30 p.m. Pallbearers will be Jim Hamill, Dan Hamill, Brian Wilson, Joseph Cantu, Timothy Hamill and Zachary Hamill.
Remembrances may be made to the National Veterans Foundation, 5777 West Century Boulevard, Suite 350, Los Angeles, CA 90045, or the charity of your choice.
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