Joan Therese Hamilton

Joan (Mulryan) Hamilton was born in 1930 in Chicago, IL and passed peacefully at her home in Tucson, AZ, surrounded by family, on May 24, 2016. Dearly loved Matriarch and friend to so many, she will be sorely missed. She was the youngest of 6 children of Irish immigrants. She was a devout Catholic from a young age and in 1948 was accepted into the Third Order Secular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. She resided in Tucson since 1956 and loved the warmth and sunshine. As a young adult she went to work at the Illinois Institute of Technology where she met the love of her life, E. Wayne Hamilton, an engineering student in the Navy ROTC. They married in 1952 and Joan was widowed in 1981. She is survived by her 9 children: Linda Kondziolka (David), Cheryl Lundgren (Carl), Nancy Bowman (Dave), Randall Hamilton (Lee Ann), Laura Green (Mark), Michael Hamilton (Yvonne), Paul Hamilton (Michelle), Kathleen “KC” Estes (Bill) and Barbara “Bobbi Jo” Ellis (Mitch). She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Known to many as “St. Joan,” she was always working for others. Joan was very active in church and was one of the first Lay Eucharistic Ministers in Tucson (1975). She had a passion for singing and was given the nickname “Torch” by Wayne, in reference to the singers in the nightclubs. This passion led her to serve as Cantor at St. Cyril’s Church. She loved being a mother and saw it as her life’s calling, earning her the title “professional mom.” Not only instilling a strong set of values and morals, she was active in all aspects of her kids’ lives. As an active member of the PTA, Joan was a leading force in making sure St. Cyril’s School children had P.E. and a weekly hot lunch. She chaperoned nearly every field trip as well as driving her kids and others to various activities (swimming, football, track, baseball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics, piano, guitar, band, scouts, and more), often volunteering to help out as a coach, timer, score keeper, team mom, den mother, etc. Joan was a member of the Sodality at Our Mother of Sorrows and later at St. Cyril’s and served as prefect. She was a long-time member of the Newman Sustaining Board at the UofA and served as president. Other organizations included Merilac Lodge, St. Joseph’s Hospital, St. Vincent de Paul, and many more. Joan loved to share the stories of her life and all the adventures she had. Some of her favorite activities were bowling, playing cards, dancing, and traveling to visit family and friends. She was a member of two different bridge clubs where she formed life-long friendships that she cherished. A time of remembrance and funeral service will be held at St. Cyril’s Church on Thursday, June 2, at 4:00 followed by a “Celebration of Life” reception at the family home where more stories can be shared. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to one of Joan’s causes mentioned. For more information, contact K.C. at 520-954-3140 or Laura at 408-421-10