Civic and community service was the cornerstone of Jack Hamilton’s life, his children said.
The former Decatur mayor was heavily involved in not only in city matters, but helped support two churches in the metro Atlanta area.
“Our dad was very much into leadership,” said his son Jim R. Hamilton, of Johns Creek. “Everything he got involved with he did to the nth degree and he always accepted a leadership role.”
Jack Hamilton served as mayor of Decatur from 1961, his first year on the city council, until 1969. In 1967, he also served as the president of the Georgia Municipal Association.
William “Jack” Hamilton Jr., of Atlanta, died Feb. 3 after a period of declining health. He was 93.
A funeral was held Saturday at of A. S. Turner & Sons Funeral Home and Crematory, which was in charge of arrangements. His body was buried at Decatur Cemetery with full military honors, his son said.
Born in Griffin, Hamilton grew up in Atlanta. After graduating from the former O’Keefe High School, he attended Young Harris College. After graduating in the late-‘30s he joined the Army Air Corps in 1941, and remained until 1945, where he earned a Bronze Star, his children said.
After his military service, Hamilton started a career in real estate. Hamilton spent more than 50 years in real estate, before and after his time in city and state politics. Some of his later real estate dealings led to a 1977 indictment of violating the state’s securities act, charges of which he was later acquitted.
Hamilton’s time as mayor of Decatur included some significant changes for the city. In a 1968 Atlanta Journal article, Hamilton anticipated a number of construction projects that year, including: at least one multi-story building, the completion of a refurbishment of what was known as Court Square, planning of a new civic auditorium and expansion plans of the Agnes Scott College.
As mayor, and president of the Municipal Association, Hamilton was also concerned about issues such as crime, housing and traffic in the urban areas. “We are in a dilemma,” he told the House in 1968, according to an Atlanta Constitution article. “We have cities choked with traffic, millions of substandard dwellings, rising crime and delinquency rates, widespread social unrest, an environment becoming steadily more polluted and vast deteriorating commercial areas.”
Hamilton, who served on the Tift College board of trustees for a period of time, continued by saying the cities needed the states help and support before things got “beyond our control.”
“He left us a legacy of being involved with the important things in life,” said his daughter Jenny H. London, of East Cobb. “The first was church commitment, and the second was to be involved with community and how important everyone in the community was.”
In addition to his son and daughter, Hamilton is survived by his wife of 70 years, Virginia Merle “Jennie” Anderson Hamilton of Dunwoody; seven grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
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