Herbert "Herb" Hamilton

Herbert Harry Hamilton passed away on February 23, 2017, peacefully at home with his family and his wonderful caretakers by his side. Herb was born on January 2, 1935, in Barnesboro, PA, the second son of Dr. John Leckey Hamilton and Helen Wells Hamilton. Herb spent his early and teen years attending schools in Allison Park, PA, Grand Lake, MI, and the family's Wells Farm in Colliers, WV. He graduated from Shady Side Academy in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1953. He continued his education at Dartmouth College and Texas Christian University. Later he joined the Navy's Officers Candidate School in Pensacola, FL, where he qualified as a Naval Aviator. He spent four years as a Navy pilot and over ten years as a pilot in the Naval Reserves. He returned to the University of Pittsburgh to get a BS degree in Chemistry. Between his junior and senior year at Pitt, Herb studied abroad at the University of Vienna in Salzburg, Austria, studying the German language and music history. Herb then spent one year at the Harvard Business School after which he was offered a job flying various aircraft testing the early 1960's sidewinder missile project for Arthur Metcalf, CEO of Electronic Corp. of America. He later returned to Harvard and was graduated from the Harvard Business School in 1964. Not letting any moss grow under his feet he relocated to Guatemala working for the U.S. State Department. He returned to the U.S. in 1966 to join American Airlines where be spent the next thirty years flying almost every class of commercial airliner and as many different international and domestic routes as possible. Consequently, he traveled to all seven continents. Herb was truly a man for all seasons. His permanent residence for his first twenty years with American Airlines was in Riverside, CT. During the time he was not flying the friendly skies Herb enjoyed various activities. He was a serious farmer of 450 acres where he grew small grain crops. He was an avid downhill skier. He particularly enjoyed ocean sailing, fishing in Scotland, Alaska and Austria, fishing the waters and tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay and deep-sea fishing in Costa Rica. In 1970 he purchased the High Standard Gun Company in Hartford CT. Also in 1970 he bought his beloved Spring Landing Farm in Crumpton, Maryland and began splitting his non-flying time between the farm and his residence in Connecticut. In 1986 be left Connecticut permanently and began living on his farm full time until his death. In 1995, Herb bad a FAA mandatory retirement from American Airlines. Of course this just created the opportunity to transition into a new adventure. For Herb this was founding Agrosystems, S.A., a company in Costa Rica that grew small grain parent line seeds for DeKalb, Monsanto, and Delta Pine. He and his partner, Francisco Rodriguez, were also consultants for some of the first organic coffee growers and producers in Costa Rica. He and his wife, Dian Dudderar, and their Costa Rican partner, Mirthala Jenkins, founded Atenas Preescolar y Escuela Colima Azul, a non-profit elementary school for Costa Rican children. Today its annual enrollment is 140 children ranging in age from three to twelve. Herb is survived by his wife, Dian Dudderar Hamilton, Crumpton MD and Atenas, Costa, Rica; his brother, Lewis Leckey Hamilton (Lucy), Cooperstown, NY, and Boca Grande, FL; niece, Heidi Hamilton Kerko (David); nephews, Brock Hamilton; his sons, Dr. Baker Hamilton (Emily), Capt. John Wells Hamilton, USMC, (Lise) and John S. Hamilton; nieces, Nancy Hamilton, (Chip) and her daughter, Ellie Styzkiel (Adam), and Elizabeth Hamilton Lavezzorio (Nicholas), her sons, William and Nicholas; his wife's sister and brother-in-law, Catherine Dudderar and John Duda; their children, John m (Annie) and Matthew, his wife's brother and sister-in law, Capt. Chip Dudderar, USNR and Linda; their children, Heidi and Kyle (Celeste), wife's sister and brother-in-law; Jody Dudderar and Bernardo Valdes. Herb was pre-deceased by two brothers, John Wells Hamilton (Debbie), Greenwich, CT, and Richard G. Hamilton, Fairplay, CO. He was also predeceased by his brother-in-law, Gregory Harris Dudderar and stepson, Matthew Bonwill DiMaggio. Herb truly lived a rich and full life and will be overwhelmingly missed. There will be a Celebration of Life Remembrance held at 304 Spring Landing Lane, Spring Landing Farm, Crumpton, MD, on June 3, 2017 at 5:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Herb bad requested donations be given to the Costa Rica Kids Environmental Education Foundation, INC, a 501 (C) (3) non-profit. Donations can be sent to: CRKEEF, INC/ PO Box 26 / Crumpton, MD 21628 or Compass Regional Hospice, 255 Comet Drive, Centreville, MD 21617.

Herbert "Herb" Hamilton

January 2, 1935 - February 23, 2017