William Arthur Hamel Jr.

December 8, 1932 – December 4, 2017

Dr. William Arthur Hamel Jr., PhD passed away peacefully at the age of 84. He is survived by his wife Karin, his daughter Katja (husband Braxton), son Max (wife Lauren) and four grandchildren, Walker, Braxton, McLain and Griffin. He is also survived by his sister Joan Gillis (husband Herb), nephews Bill Rogers (wife Ellen), Chuck Gillis (wife Cindy) and nieces Kelly Ellis (husband Bob), Linda Dart, Jean Marie Rotella (husband, Frank) and Maureen Lambert (husband Gary).

Born to William Arthur Hamel Sr. and Sarah Hamel (McGovern) in Dorchester, Massachusetts at the height of the Great Depression, Will was a devoted husband, caring father, loving uncle and brother and a deeply spiritual man.

Determined to educate himself and see the world, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1951 and served a distinguished, nearly 20-year career in infantry, intelligence and Airborne Special Forces positions across multiple combat theaters including Korea, the Bay of Pigs, Vietnam and Cold War Germany. Will received recognition and many awards from the U.S. Army and other professional organizations during his life. One of his proudest moments, however, was using his military honed language skills and love of the arts to direct a group of Kempsville High School students through the performance of Johann Wolfgang Goethe’s play “Faust,” all in the original German.

After retiring from military service, he attended Suffolk University, the College of William and Mary and the University of Virginia obtaining degrees in Education, Philosophy and Psychology. He went on to become an exceptional leader, teacher and determined serial entrepreneur. He was a selfless and generous man who lived for his family, to serve God and cheerfully sacrificed his own comforts for his loved ones. We pray that Will rests in peace and in eternal life, reunited with his parents, his sister Kay Rogers and dear friends and family that preceded him.

A private viewing for family will be held on the afternoon of Sunday December 10, 2017. A graveside service will be conducted 11:00am Monday, December 11, 2017 at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia. An Irish wake will follow at the Country Club of Virginia.