James “Jim” Cook Hamilton, 79, of Sioux City, passed away Tuesday, June 1, 2021 at a local hospital.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 1:00 P.M. Friday, June 4, 2021 at Holy Cross Parish- Blessed Sacrament Church with Fr. Peter Nguyen, celebrant. Visitation will be held 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. with a Rosary at 7:30 P.M. and a Chalice Service to follow, both presented by Council #265 Bishop Garrigan Assembly Knights of Columbus, on Thursday, June 3, 2021 at Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery. Online condolences can be expressed at www.meyerbroschapels.com.
James was born June 30, 1941 in Independence, Iowa, the son of James D. and Celia (Cook) Hamilton. He was raised on the family farm in Buchanan County. He attended local schools, beginning in a one-room country school house in 1946, and later attended public schools in Independence. Following high school graduation, he attended University of Iowa where he earned his B.A. in 1963, then his M.A. in 1965, and finally his Ph.D. in 1968; all in British and European History. From 1965 to 1968, he was a graduate teaching assistant for the History Department. On June 16, 1973, he married Paula Mary Stadtler in Minneapolis, MN. To this union, 2 children were born. At the time of their marriage, the couple lived in Bemidji, MN while he worked at Bemidji State University as an Associate Professor of History from 1968 to 1974. He was also Chair to the College Honors Program. In 1974, the family moved to Petersburg, VA where he took at position as Director of Residence Educational Center at Chapman College in Ft. Lee, VA, with satellite programs in NC, SC, GA, and Montauk Point in Long Island, NY. In 1976, the family moved for a final time to Sioux City. James was Director of Education at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center briefly. He was Associate Administrator/Vice President from 1976 to 1993. From 1993 to 1997, he was Associate Director and Director of Operations of the Health First PPO. He ended his career with St. Luke’s as Director of Operations of Midlands Choice from 1997 to 2006.
James was a dedicated member of Blessed Sacrament Church; he served as an usher for 27 years. At the young age of 10, James began his life-long hobby of stamp collecting. His passion for Philately was expressed in his wide array of research and publications. He contributed to publications such as American Philatelist, The New Carto-Philatelist, and Vatican Notes where he published over 180 articles on various philatelic topics and served as Associate Editor beginning in 2009. James also published Captain James Cook’s Antarctic Voyages, a series of over a dozen articles in Cook’s Log (Journal of the Captain Cook Society). He also published over 15 book reviews and served as the Editorial Assistant for Cook’s Log. James presented to many organizations including Captain Cook Society at the annual Great Britain meeting in Yorkshire in 2011. Last year, James published Captain James Cook and the Search for Antarctica, an account that brought together details of Cook’s three Antarctic Journeys including the stamps that illustrate the voyages. He presented for the Vatican Philatelic Society at the 60th Anniversary in McClean, VA in 2013 and again in 2018 at the 65th Anniversary in Baltimore, MD. He also presented at meetings of the Omaha Philatelic Society. James was a member of many other organizations such as American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors, Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey in MN where he served as an oblate, Council #11038 Knights of Columbus, and Council #265 Bishop Garrigan Assembly Knights of Columbus as a Faithful Purser Officer.
James generously donated his time to community service. He was a past member of Noon Sertoma Club. He was the Director of Finance for Artsplash from 1995 to 2006 and on the Institutional Review Board of the June E. Nylen Cancer Center from 2007 to present.
James enjoyed traveling with his wife, Paula. They went on 20+ trips to different countries on 6 continents.
Those left to honor his memory are his wife of 47 years, Paula Hamilton of Sioux City; son James (Anna) Hamilton of North Oaks, MN; daughter Celia (Michael) Pacheco of Taunton, MA; grandson Spencer James Hamilton; brother Richard (Brenda) Hamilton of Urbandale, IA; and sister-in-law Ruth Hamilton of Independence, IA.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brother Douglas Hamilton.
Thursday, June 3, 2021
5:00 - 7:00 pm (Central time)
Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel
Thursday, June 3, 2021
Starts at 7:30 pm (Central time)
Meyer Brothers Colonial Chapel
Friday, June 4, 2021
Starts at 1:00 pm (Central time)
Holy Cross - Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
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