JOE HAMILTON

BRIDPORT — Joe Hamilton attended his last high school football game and final car show during the last few days of October 2025. He died from a stroke Nov. 2 with his children and grandchildren at his side.

Joseph Howard Hamilton III was born Nov. 24, 1944, to Bernice E. Benedict and Joseph H. Hamilton Jr.

Growing up in Middlebury, Vt., he was an outstanding high school football player, starting both ways in the 1962 Shrine Game. He was also a graceful and powerful skier. In his final months Joe was training to compete in Masters Track & Field as a shot putter.

Joe attended Norwich University (a very bad fit) and El Cerrito College, where he studied civil engineering. His intellectual curiosity was bottomless. He felt that YouTube was invented specifically for him.

One day in late 1964 he left a handwritten note to his mother saying he was going on a trip. A couple weeks later he arrived at his uncle’s home in Los Angeles. Joe spent the next half century in California.

He was a surveyor for Los Angeles County and later a sales rep for reprographic products. He owned Blue Streak Reprographics in Roseville, Calif., for more than 30 years.

In recent years he returned to Addison County where, like in California, he attended as many high school football games as possible and every car show within driving distance. Often that required a three-day drive.

Reconnecting with old friends and relatives around Middlebury was a source of joy for him.

Joe bought his first classic car, a 1940 Ford coupe when he was 16. When he died, he had two perfectly preserved 1940 Fords.

He would tell you that he was a better grandfather/great grandfather than he was a dad. Joe loved to talk about his family almost as much as he liked to shower them with advice.

Joe is survived by daughters Joleen and Jennifer; grandchildren Andrea, Rebecca, Cesar, Joey and Alexandra; great-grandchildren Dominic, Mia, Penelope and Leonardo; and his brother Chris and partner Kathy.

No service was held.

R.I.P. Big guy. ◊