Joseph Clayton Hatfield II

1938 - 2023

Joseph Clayton Hatfield II died peacefully, surrounded by his children, on October 24, 2023 in Bennington, Vermont.

Joe was born on March 12, 1938 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Raised in Hyde Park, Joe attended the Summit Boys School, and later, Cincinnati Country Day School, where he was a co-captain of the football team. Joe went on to attend the Hun School in Princeton, New Jersey, and then, Hobart College in Geneva, New York.

Following college, Joe married Helen Celeste (Ceci) Pogue of Hyde Park, Cincinnati, with whom he had a daughter, Celeste. Joe and Ceci eventually divorced, and Joe moved to New York City, where he began a long and successful career trading municipal bonds for financial institutions, including Chase Bank and Bank of America. At Bank of America, Joe held a Vice President role at both their San Francisco and New York City offices.

In 1972, Joe married Laura Hoffmann of Little Silver, New Jersey. Joe and Laura lived in New York City, San Francisco (Tiburon), and New Canaan, Connecticut before moving to Manchester, Vermont in 1987 with their three children, Clay, Lela and Anne.

In Vermont, Joe and Laura purchased and ran a small drapery and upholstery business, called The Fabric Outlet, which Laura eventually grew into today's Laura's Interior Design, one of the longest running interior design studios in the Southern Vermont area.

Joe and Laura divorced in 1991, and Joe began another successful career, in Advertising Sales, becoming Sales Director at both The Vermont News Guide and The Stratton Magazine. He is remembered by his colleagues for the twinkle in his eye, his welcoming smile, and the love he had for his children.

Joe was forever proud of his Cincinnati roots, visiting often and keeping in close touch with his friends and family there. He never wavered in his devotion to his hometown favorites: the Cincinnati Bengals, Skyline Chili, Aglamesis and Graeter's Ice Cream, and the Camargo Club.

Other special places for Joe were Aspen, Colorado; Booth Bay Harbour, Maine; Sun Valley, Idaho; and his beloved London, England, which he first visited in his 20s, traveling on the Queen Elizabeth II, and which he continued to visit every March for his birthday in his later years. While in London, Joe could always be found enjoying a traditional British meal at the oldest restaurant in the city, Rules, and a pint at his favorite pub, The Star in Belgravia. When he wasn't traveling, Joe particularly enjoyed country drives, church services on Sundays, lunches at the Dorset Field Club, antiquing, horses, family gatherings, and Neil Diamond.

Joe developed Alzheimer's disease in his early 70s and had a long, courageous fight with the illness. He ultimately died of heart failure at the age of 85.

Joe is survived by his four children: Celeste Hatfield Warrington (John), Joseph Clayton Hatfield III, Lela Hatfield Hughes (Jed), Anne Bennett Hatfield (Jonny), and his grandchildren: Isabelle Earls, Lincoln Joseph Hatfield, Lucy Prachyl, Wyatt and Emmett Hughes, and Milly and Ernest Hawton, and his dear Shewman cousins, and the Dye and Gosiger families. He is predeceased by his father, Dr. Ralph E. Hatfield, his mother, Lela S. Shewman, his younger brother, Thomas E. Hatfield, and his adored Scottish Terrier, Barley.

A celebration of Joe's life will be held locally in the coming months.