Pat R. Hamilton

“There is one less kind, quiet, thoughtful man in this world.” Those words are from a note handwritten by our late mother, Helen Hamilton, and placed in an obituary file she prepared for her husband and our father.

Pat Ray Hamilton was born February 14th, 1923 in Oak Hill, WV; the son of the late James C. “Pat” and Ruth Gregory Hamilton of Fayetteville, WV. He died peacefully at home on January 4, 2015 at the age of 91.

Pat married Helen Packer Hamilton of Miles City, Montana in 1950 who preceded him in death.

He is survived by their four children, Patricia L. Hamilton (Dave Higgins), Debra L. Hamilton, Judith Hamilton Brooks, and James Edward Hamilton. He is also remembered by six grandchildren: Derek, Wesley (Cassie), and Kyle (Brittany) Thomas; Jade and Courtney Hamilton, and Bailey Brooks. He has two great-grandchildren, KJ and Ziggy Thomas. He is also survived by his sister, Josephine Hamilton Houck of Belleair, FL and her six children.

He was a graduate of Fayetteville High School and West Virginia University and the West Virginia
University College of Law. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. Pat served in the U.S.
Army during World War II in the Judge Advocate’s Office at West Point. From 1949-1954, he was
an FBI Special Agent, stationed in Montana and California. Pat founded his own law firm in Oak
Hill in 1954 and actively practiced until 2001. The firm continues as Hamilton, Burgess, Young and
Pollard in Fayetteville.

He was elected to the WV State Senate and served two terms from 1972-1980 and then served two terms in the WV House of Delegates until 1986. The family is especially proud of his legislative sponsorship and support leading to passage of the Sunshine Law (Open Governmental Meetings Act), the Federal Protection of the New River Gorge and the construction of the New River Gorge Bridge, the Homestead Amendment, the Inheritance Tax Reduction Act, and the establishment of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King as a legal holiday. He led efforts to found the WV School of Osteopathic Medicine in Greenbrier County. During his first term in the Senate, he was voted “Outstanding Freshman Senator” by his colleagues and the Capitol Press Corps named him “Outstanding First Term Senator.”

Pat served on numerous and various boards and was an active member and officer of many
professional, business, political, civic, and community organizations on the local, county, and state levels. These memberships included serving on the Board of Directors of New River Bank (now BB&T), Oak Hill Hospital and Plateau Medical Center, Montgomery General Hospital, Hygeia, OakHill and Plateau Chamber of Commerce; President of the Fayette County Democratic Executive Committee; long-time member of Rotary International; a charter member of the Fayette County American Legion Post; the Board of Governors of West Virginia University (1968-1972); a member of the Board of Trustees of WV School of Osteopathic Medicine (1974-1975); organizer and chairman of the Fayette County Human Rights Commission (1958-1962); and a member of the
Governor’s Commission on Employment of the Handicapped (1964-1968). He was named WV
Citizen of the Year in 1964 by the WV Jaycees. Quota International of the Plateau Area honored
him in 1998. Helen and Pat Hamilton enjoyed traveling, with the highlight being a three-week tour around the world aboard a Concorde.

Pat was an avid tennis player, reader, and bicyclist. Alzheimer’s claimed his mind in his last decade and ended his ability to enjoy these pursuits. While our father was robbed of his memories, people from all over the state remember him and have told us stories of his
kindness and generosity. His daughter Judy commented upon his death that he was a man who
loved his family, loved West Virginia, and strived to make a difference and help people. For all the
people who received a nice note, photo, or small gift from Pat Hamilton, for all the people who
went to him when they needed help from a caring lawyer or legislator, and for all the others who
spent time with him, you know that he did, indeed, help people and make a difference. He was a
good citizen, a good man, and a great dad.

The lives of Pat and Helen Hamilton and their children were greatly enhanced by the presence of
Glennys Davis. We thank her and many members of her family for their loving care and help over
the past several years.

“When he shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars, and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun.” William Shakespeare, Romeo & Juliet (This was suggested for the obituary in the same file prepared by our mother, an English teacher who loved Shakespeare).

A celebration of life service will be held on Friday, March 20, 2015 at the Fayette County Courthouse in Fayetteville, WV.

In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests contributions in the name of Pat Hamilton to the WV Alzheimer’s Association, 1601 Second Avenue, Charleston WV 25387 ; Oak Hill Library, 611 Main Street West, Oak Hill WV 25901; or Hospice of Southern West Virginia, PO Box 1472, Beckley WV 25802.

Online condolences may be sent at www.tyreefuneralhome.com

Information submitted by Tyree Funeral Home, Oak Hill.