Healthcare leader, town preservationist, gardener
Jim Hamill (Courtesy photo)
Harvard friends of former longtime resident Jim Hamill are saddened by his death and remember him with great fondness and deep admiration. Jim was a gentleman in every sense of the word: polite, respectful, pleasant, self-effacing, and unfailingly kind. “He was a fine man, full of integrity as well as having a sense of humor,” Chris Ready recalls. Smart, witty, and intellectually curious, Jim was a great conversationalist—and a great listener. He gave generously of his time, whether to participate in a presentation on the changing landscape of Harvard for Warner Free Lecture or to volunteer at the dump. Sue Barber calls him “a pillar of old Harvard” who will be greatly missed.
Jim died peacefully on March 5, surrounded by his family. Sarah, his wife of 47 years, says his illness, “while very painful, was mercifully short.” She expresses pride in him for going through it “with very few complaints.” Jim was 83.
James R. Hamill grew up in Flushing, New York. With a masters degree in social work from Columbia University and one in healthcare management from Yale University, Jim worked as an executive in the healthcare field in Boston and Worcester. He and Sarah moved to Harvard in the early 1970s. Jim was an avid and knowledgeable gardener, and when the family moved from an old house on Oak Hill Road to a new home built on land behind it, he created an imaginative woodland flower garden around the home.
Jim served as board member and president of the Harvard Historical Society. Sarah recalls: “At the time of his retirement in 1996 Jim fulfilled a long-held dream to revive the Harvard Historical Society from a modest past to a thriving present.” With the “help of a dedicated group of townspeople,” Jim received two state grants to restore the old meetinghouse of the former Still River Baptist Church where the society is located. Longtime friend and society board member Jack Purdy recalls how Jim very successfully oversaw the historical preservation project. “He worked long and hard at it.” And the building restoration did, indeed, result in a “thriving” society, one more accessible and active; Jim’s legacy continues at the society.
Maggie Green, who worked closely with Jim at the Historical Society for many years and succeeded him as president says, “I was lucky to learn from him.” While she became versed in building projects, creating exhibits, curatorial policy, fundraising, board development, and writing reports, Maggie says the most important things she learned from Jim “were about community service and leadership.” Jim modeled the values he believed in: No matter how much you do for the organization, never make the accomplishment about you—the spotlight is always on others and the end result; be truthful in your passion for your work and dedication to the mission; honor the work that everyone does. Maggie jokes that “Jim wasn’t one to be succinct,” but one thing he did say to her sums it up: “Try to do good work with good people.” Maggie speaks for many who worked with Jim when she adds, “Thanks for that, Jim.”
Jim and Sarah moved to Kittery, Maine, several years ago.
Besides being the beloved husband of Sarah, Jim was a devoted father and is survived by Elizabeth Bristow and her husband, Shawn of Rye, N.H., and Margaret Emmanuel and her husband James of Marblehead, Mass. He was the proud grandfather of Hannah Rubin and of Luke and Sophie Emmanuel. Jim is also survived by his sister, Elizabeth Hall of Islip, New York, and her three children.
Following cremation, a Memorial Service for Jim will be held on Saturday, March 15, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church, Portsmouth, N.H., followed by a reception at the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Jim’s name to the Harvard Historical Society, PO Box 542 Harvard, MA 01451. His remains will be buried in Harvard at a later date. For information, directions, and online guestbook, please contact J. Verne Wood Funeral Home in Portsmouth, NH, 603-436-1702.
