John Hamilton Obituary

John D. Hamilton, Jr. Daniel Island - John D. Hamilton, Jr., distinguished real estate lawyer, law firm visionary, mentor and leader, died March 3, 2020, at age 85, at his home in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife Cheryl by his side. Mr. Hamilton rose to prominence first as a real estate lawyer who helped shape the Boston skyline of the 1970's and 80's and then as managing partner of the law firm Hale and Dorr LLP (now WilmerHale), a position he held for more than 15 years. As the middle child of three, Mr. Hamilton was born in Canandaigua, New York, to John Sr., a banker, and Faith, a homemaker. He attended Phillips Exeter Academy and went on to Princeton University and Harvard Law School, interrupting his education to serve for two years in the Navy Reserves Officer Training Corps and the United States Navy Reserves, where he was a Navy chaplain. Upon his law school graduation in 1960, Mr. Hamilton was recruited to Boston's Hale and Dorr. Mr. Hamilton helped reshape the Boston real estate landscape during the city's revival, helping his clients translate their vision for Boston's revitalization into a reality through the development of high-rise Boston office buildings, hotels, factories, apartment complexes and shopping centers. Among many other highlights, he served as counsel to Carpenter & Company in its development of the Charles Hotel in Cambridge and Four Seasons properties across the country. "John's modest and thoughtful demeanor overlaid a fiercely intelligent and marvelously creative legal thinker," says former colleague Andy Cohn. Mr. Hamilton became head of Hale and Dorr's Real Estate Department, growing the group to what was, by the mid-1980's, the fourth-largest real estate practice in the United States. "He had the generosity of spirit and the natural ability as a teacher and mentor to make us into the lawyers that we became", observes Tuchmann. In the late 1970's, Mr. Hamilton also took on the role of hiring partner, and brought to Hale and Dorr a collection of exceptional young lawyers that would propel the firm to the forefront of an evolving legal industry. In 1984, the partners of Hale and Dorr asked him to become managing partner, making him Hale and Dorr's fourth leader in its then 66-year history. As managing partner, Mr. Hamilton was-in the words of Lee, who became his successor in 2000-the firm's "visionary, architect, builder, mentor and leader." Mr. Hamilton was famous for what former colleague Bill O'Reilly describes as his "management by walking around" style, which made him a constant, and genial, presence in the halls. Perhaps his greatest professional legacy, however, is the foundation laid by his leadership in pro bono and community service. After involving the firm as a charter signatory in the Pro Bono Institute's Pro Bono Challenge, he helped to establish the Hale and Dorr Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School (LSC), an endeavor to which he personally gave generously. He was recognized by the LSC with its Legacy Award just last year in honor of the 25th anniversary of the organization's founding. Mr. Hamilton's many honors include the LSC's Bellow-Charm Champion of Justice Legacy Award, City Year's Civic Innovation Award, the Princeton Class of 1955 Distinguished Achievement Award, and WilmerHale's James D. St. Clair Award for Professional Excellence. In 2005, Mr. Hamilton received the Pro Bono Institute's Chesterfield Smith Award. Mr. Hamilton served as board member, director, chair or trustee of many local institutions, including City Year, the Boston Museum of Science and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Mr. Hamilton is described by his family as a loving husband and father, devoted grandfather and, above all, a gentle and thoughtful man who put others before himself. "All those who knew John were keenly aware of his humanity and integrity, and deeply moved by the impact he had on their lives", says wife Cheryl. Mr. Hamilton is predeceased by his eldest sister, Caroline Emerson Hamilton. Surviving to cherish his memory are his wife Cheryl Hamilton of Charleston, SC; daughter, Linda Hamilton of West Medford, MA; son, John Hamilton III of Hopkinton, NH; granddaughter, Tess Hamilton of Boston, MA; and sister, Hope Pettegrew of Hancock, NH. A celebration of Mr. Hamilton's life will be held in Boston in the coming months, with details to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Mr. Hamilton's honor to: City Year Inc., 287 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA 02116. A memorial message may be sent to the family by visiting our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com. Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston