John David Hamilton (1944-2026)

John, along with his wife Paula, died on July 25, 2026 in an auto accident near their home in Concord, MA. We only have this information from the Boston NBC affiliate and similar information from other news sources.

 

Obituaries for both John and Paula are now available from the Concord Funeral Home (click on the names). A Celebration of Life will be scheduled in the fall.

About John

On July 25, 2026, John David Hamilton and his wife, Paula, were killed in an automobile collision near their home in Concord, Massachusetts.
 
John came to Princeton from Yorktown High School, in Arlington, Virginia, where he played tennis and basketball. At Princeton, he majored in physics, belonged to Quadrangle Club, and rowed heavyweight crew all four years. His roommates included Gary Mount, Andy Zimmerman, Gib Hentschke, Jon Waage, Glenn Goltz, David Williams, and Tim Smith.
 
After graduation, John earned a medical degree at Harvard and an MSc at Oxford. He had a long career in medicine and psychiatry, holding positions on both coasts, including Senior Physician at Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center and Chief of Psychiatry at Brandeis University.
 
He was named a Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
 
John kept busy in retirement. His 60th Reunion Book entry lists his activities as biking and walking; volunteering on civic boards, including historic preservation, aging assistance, Medicare counseling, and world affairs education; and making community presentations, usually at libraries in Maine, on various international topics.
 
He is remembered for his lifelong quest for learning, his caring and concern for the wellbeing of others, his infectious smile, and his ready wit.
 

John is survived by his stepdaughters Allison Webster and Pamela Webster ‘86, and his grandchildren, to all of whom the Class extends its condolences.

Reunion Essay

Click here for John's essays written for the 45th and 50th reunions.

Nassau Herald

Classmate Memories and Tributes

Gib Hentschke:

How do you even try to describe a guy you have known and loved for over half a century . . . and then suddenly lost? Subjectively, partially, and not adequately Yes, a cascade of times together over the years, physically or virtually, begins to flow through your brain: rowing with the heavies in both fair weather and foul, taking a break from studies and goofing off with roomies on the second floor of Henry Hall, and later as alums, meeting up with spouses for the occasional “micro-mini reunion” largely in the northeast, more recently catching up  each other on their daily lives via monthly Zoom-facilitated Roommate Roundups, and even a months-long online book club on Nietzsche that John initiated.
 
Many cumulative activities, but only one consistent John throughout. For starters, John was a lifelong learner if there ever was one, identifying, tackling and mastering a vast array of subjects and fields (e.g., physics, evidence-based medicine, adolescent psychiatry) as each became important to him both professionally and personally. His wide-ranging thirst for knowledge and willingness to pursue learning was second to none. Among the roommates, John was the only one I can recall who consistently devoted Saturday mornings to serious study, regardless of Friday night’s happenings. Fifty years later it was the same John who started a small Nietzsche book club with a few of us “because I never had room in my schedule to take the course from [professor X, Princeton’s world-renowned Nietzsche scholar].”  Even more recently, I learned of John’s all-in pursuit of the Italian language. For John learning was a fundamental ingredient of living.
 
More fundamental than lifelong learner, John was a true empath. He felt others’ pain and rejoiced in their achievements and overall well being. Yes, he loved his family and friends and at some other level also his clients and patients, but with John this caring was deeper, more powerful, and took up a greater part of consciousness than was the case with most of us.  Whenever he spoke about others in our conversations, whether it was a relative, an unnamed client, or a friend, it was clear to me that John had thought long and hard about that person’s emotional well-being. When our late roommate Gary Mount’s health deteriorated, long before his passing, we were all deeply saddened. But it was John who realized that Gary was at the same time saying a sad farewell to his longstanding officiating role at Princeton community rowing events.  John knew that Gary was not in a good place, and it was John who urged the roommates to honor Gary with membership in Princeton’s Varsity Club, which Gary loved. This was John with everyone – genuinely and deeply caring.
 
In the near future I hope there will be a “celebration of life” event for John and Paula, but at this moment it is very hard to get beyond the dark emptiness resulting from our sudden loss of John.

 

Andy Zimmerman:

He was a dear friend and guidepost and his sudden loss defies comprehension. John was a gentle and sensitive giant, a pleasure to have known at Princeton and over the years. From physics major to grad school in biophysics to medicine and finally child and adolescent psychiatry, his interests were forever expanding. He loved music and played the Moonlight Sonata on the piano on the 3rd floor of Henry Hall our junior year. He was devoted to Paula and their family and managed to practice, along with many interests in arts and sports on both coasts. His incredible intellect, listening skill and relatability gave aid to many patients and families over the years. He also kept up regular virtual contact in our "roommate roundups" in recent years. This loss has been tragic and reminds us of John's wonderful life well lived.

 

Jon Waage:

It is hard to find words in the emptiness of losing John and Paula. I roomed with John junior and senior year and, like others, remember his enthusiasm and quest for knowledge. He was genuinely interested in what we all were doing, and I have been amazed at the challenges he faced going from physics to medicine and how smoothly he made those transitions. 
 

I don’t think I remember a time when he didn’t have a smile on his face and an interesting idea to share. My contact with John since Princeton has been through the monthly Zoom meetings that Tim Smith started during Covid and a recent mini-reunion here in New Hampshire. John’s concern for others was clear in those meetings, and, as Gib noted, it helped us get through our loss of Gary Mount. John, Andy, and I were planning on getting together soon since we live fairly close. That it will not happen deepens the loss. I wanted to spend more time with this wonderful man I had rediscovered in our roommate Zoom meetings.

 

From Facebook, 2017 and 2015

                                        

 

Tim Smith:

The news that John and Paula Hamilton perished in a tragic auto accident last weekend in Concord, MA has been heartbreaking to my wife Ilia and me. John was a Princeton roommate during our senior year, an active participant in our virtual Princeton Roommate Roundup which has faithfully taken place on both coasts on the first Saturday of almost every month since the beginning of the Covid epidemic in 2020, and a caring and kind friend. Our Roundup group consisted of John, Andy Zimmerman, Glenn Goltz, Jon Waage, David Williams, the late Gary Mount, the late David Kidd, and me. 
 
John was dedicated to his physics studies, his roommates, and the crew team during his senior year, and almost every week-end in the second half of our senior year he would disappear in customary dedication from 1939 Hall where we roomed to row in one of Princeton’s crew races either at home or on the road. As many of our classmates have experienced with their Princeton roommates and other campus friends, John and I became even closer after graduating in 1966. Particularly during our monthly Roommate Roundups over six years (which still continue!),  I discovered in him extraordinary wisdom and dedication to people and causes, self-honesty, selfless compassion for others, a love for different cuisines, and a genuine sense of humor!  
 
While our beloved former roommate Gary Mount was suffering from his life-ending physical disorder, John organized among the roommates an initiative including a not insubstantial amount of money from those contributing to enable Gary to have a lifetime membership in the Princeton Varsity Club and his family to have legacy benefits. It was a tribute to Gary and his loved ones for which his family has been very grateful!
 
Earlier this year John retired from a psychiatry practice for youngsters in the Boston area, and he told the Roundup roommates about the challenges of retired life after an active professional life as a child psychiatrist. In April he traveled to Italy to walk with a long-time English friend all the way from Rome to Orvieto near Umbria to enjoy Italian sights and cuisine, a challenging terrain for anyone especially an 82-year-old!  When I asked him whether he had a Plan B in case he and his friend ran out of energy while in the middle of their walking journey, he replied confidently with a grin that they would simply take an Uber to the next overnight stop - niente problema and no need for a Roman chariot in reserve! 
 
Knowing that he might need to know some Italian on his trip, he asked my wife Ilia, who has taught Italian for over 50 years, to tutor him virtually. She quickly discovered that John was very serious about learning Italian, and in a short period of time he became one of her star pupils. Even he and I began to communicate in Italian!  While I had the advantage of 53 years of marriage to Ilia, John’s proficiency in Italian was quickly catching up to mine!
 

Following is a recent photo of John, his beloved wife Paula, her unforgettable pet Poppy, who survived the auto accident, classmate and clubmate Jeff Reichel and his wife Linda, and my wife Ilia and myself. It was taken at lunch in Sonoma, CA in March of this year. We stayed so long at the restaurant in sharing so many stories that Paula finally announced that Poppy was exhausted and that she, John, and Poppy needed to be on their way back to Davis where they had a house and where they often lived for part of the year when not in the Boston area!

 

The 19th-century Swiss moral philosopher and poet Henri Frédéric Amiel wrote the following prayer about the essence of life being kindness and love to others.   "Life is short. We don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those who walk this way with us. So, be swift to love and make haste to be kind.”  In a lifetime of kindness and love towards all of those around him, John gladdened in a timely and selfless way the hearts of all of us roommates and others who have journeyed with him.  We shall miss him deeply!

 

 

Owen Mathieu:

John and I talked a good while when President Eisgruber came to Boston on his tour this past December 3rd. We had gone sailing a couple times back when we both moved to the Boston area in the 70s, then had lost contact, except for seeing one another at reunions on occasion (we had neither become never missers). He was a smart, quiet, beautiful man. What a shame. News like this should make all the rest of us feel undeservedly lucky. Condolences to all.

 

Jim Timbie:

John Hamilton is the only classmate (and almost the only person) that I have been in continuous contact with for the past 64 years, from novice rowing practice in the first days of freshman year to exchanging Christmas cards this past December. We shared classes together at Princeton, and then stayed in touch and got together when one of us was near the other. We would go out to dinner when his medical training took him to San Francisco, and we visited his family while vacationing on Nantucket. John started out learning about science, and ended up learning about people, and it is sad to know we and others will not be able to continue to enjoy his company and learn from him.

 

Jon Holman:

I never met John Hamilton. Not on campus, not since, not even during his years at UC Davis when he was living 75 miles away. So my experience of him was an email one, triggered initially by a birthday card in 2017 and continuing frequently to our last exchange a few months ago.
 

Every email I got supports what others in this memorial will say about John. He was incredibly empathic. Obviously very smart. I didn't know what a dedicated lifelong learner he was, but it isn't even slightly surprising. And for sure he was self-effacing. But the one thing I carried away is how incredibly funny he was. I have no way to know if that came through in person, but it sure came through in writing. In fact I'm going to include a response I got from John in 2020 at the start of Covid. It was one of a long series where I kept asking him for a photo of himself for the '66 Photo Archive, to which he continually responded with photos of his wife Paula and grandchildren. I thought it captured a special guy, another one I wish I had known better.

Hi Jon,
 
Thanks for you birthday greetings. The '66 Tiger on the card, though, does look like he's fallen on hard times, don't you think? Are things that bad? 
 
Is he about to chew on the stony '66 plaque which appears to have fallen from a Chevron sign? Or is he simply venting the same rage and frustration that pushed King Lear to the top of the charts way back when?  It's hard to say. But, in the interest of tranquility and a serene descent into old old age, here is an image of a happier Tiger for future postings.... 

 

Note that he keeps his fangs out of sight, and offers a warm friendly quality. His serene visage offers a sense of hope, although I am not guaranteeing that he won't eat us both in the long run. 

 
But he is not me and I digress from the critical issue of sending you a picture of me myself! 
 
After I got out of the witness protection program, I was given two choices. Either send my first grandchild to Yale and suffer the consequences, or pay my back taxes and return to watching PBS. It was a tough choice and I went into treatment for several months. When I came out.... Well, I probably shouldn't say here. 
 
Let's just say that I loved your three-cent stamp--- from 1956! it was a good year for me, turning 12 and my first 7th grade crush---- and I also appreciated your recognition of my change in height, although I was surprised you knew about my surgery since I had been told it would be kept confidential. Thanks also for recognizing my 'big brother' relationship with you as of tomorrow, since I will be 76 and you will remain considerably younger. They say that 76 is the new 75 but don't believe them. I would like to suggest that this is a significant change in our relationship and perhaps an honorary "Sir John" or other deferential title might be included in any future correspondence with me. 
 
And finally yes I do have a picture of myself on the beach at Carmel in a beloved bike racing hat. It will be coming your way soon. 
 

Warmly, John

John with Poppy - From John's Obituary

Clay Davis:

John and I were on the heavyweight crew together for all four years, he as an oarsman and I as a coxswain. I always thought of John as a quiet and gentle soul. One of my favorite memories of those days and John was when, a few years ago, he told me that during his gym rowing workouts, he still heard my voice in his head. He probably never knew how much that meant to me. 

 

Glenn Goltz:

For many years we prided ourselves as being the tightest group of roommates in our Class. We were very lucky to enjoy the spacious "Harriman Suite” at 232 Henry Hall together for many years. Since graduation Tim Smith, Gary Mount, David Williams, David Kidd, Gib Hentschke, Jon Waage, John Hamilton and myself have met regularly in person and more recently and frequently on Zoom to stay connected, interested and supportive of each other.
 
Now, with the recent deaths of John Hamilton and Gary Mount. and earlier death of David Kidd, our feelings of loss are getting harder to bear. The news of John and Paula’s deaths in a tragic traffic accident near their Concord home is shocking and especially hard to imagine.
 
John was the outstanding scholar and most generous listener in our group. He was never boastful and never “took the air out of the room”. He was always up to date in his studies and dedicated to his participation in our award winning, champion Crew team. I recall that John won awards at graduation in both French and Physics. We were not surprised when John continued his graduate studies in Physics but we were shocked when he continued with a Medical Degree from Harvard. This led to a rewarding career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry which fit perfectly with John’s quick mind, genuine thoughtfulness and gift for active listening. 
 
John marriage to Paula resulted in gaining a vibrant and partner and wonderful set of daughters—Allison and Pamela Webster. John was especially proud of his daughters and subsequent outstanding grandchildren. I believe that daughter Pamela ’86 has the honor of being our very first Class child.
 
John’s sabbatical year at Oxford to study evidence based healthcare resulted in a master’s degree and provided the framework for late night discussions of our less educated but healthcare oriented roommate gatherings.
 
We all enjoyed John and Paula’s generous hospitality at their Nantucket summer home and their home base in Davis, California. John was always ready for a fast bike ride or a leisurely ocean sail. Barbara and I have not forgotten John’s generosity in hosting a memorable roommate party for us just before our wedding sixty one years ago.
 
We are deeply sad to acknowledge John and Paula’s untimely deaths.

 

 

Roommates - L-R front: Hentschke, Tim Smith, Goltz, David Williams, Waage. L-R rear: Hamilton, Zimmerman

at Jon Waage’s, New London, NH, 25 September 24

 

If you have photos, information, or memories that you wish to share, please send them to the '66 Memorial Team (66_MemorialTeam@googlegroups.com). We will add them to this page.