Lewis Hamilton

Lewis L. Hamilton, M.D. of Boca Grande, FL and Salisbury, CT died peacefully at home in Salisbury on July 20, 2025 surrounded by his loving family and his dog at his feet.

He was 85 and lived an extraordinary life, valuing his relationships with family and friends above all else while also quietly contributing many remarkable achievements to his communities especially as they related to medicine, education and conservation.

Lewis, or "Dewey" as he was known to family and life long friends, was born on August 4, 1939 to Dr. John Leckey Hamilton and Helen Wells Hamilton in the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburg, PA where his father was a surgeon. Lewis was the third son of four and spent many of his formative years at Wells Farm in Brooke County, West Virginia, his mother's family's homestead which has been in the Wells family since the early 1770's. During his childhood, Lewis lived in Colliers, WV, Allison Park, PA and Grand Lake, MI (where he spent summers to avoid the polio epidemic raging through the country before the polio vaccine was available). As a child, Lewis developed a profound appreciation and love of Nature that remained with him throughout the course of life and inspired his commitment to conservation, education and medicine. He also developed a deep love of fly fishing (tying his own flies), shooting clays and quail, as well as golf and sports of many kinds.

Lewis skipped a few grades in elementary school and entered Shady Side Academy (SSA) as a young 8th grader. He quickly distinguished himself as an excellent student and was president of the Sargon Society (the school honor society) as well as a talented athlete having been chosen as MVP in football and as well as being captain and MVP of the baseball team. Lewis was chosen as the SSA representative for the American Field Service summer exchange program and lived in France which broadened his worldview greatly. After SSA, Lewis attended Yale with a class of 1,000, graduating in 1960 with a BS in Physics. Initially intending to go to graduate school physics, his educational direction changed, under some influence from his family towards medical school and thus enrolled in the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons, aka "P&S" with a class of 100, where he received an MD degree in 1964.

Shortly after graduation, Lewis met Katharine "Kitty" Bramwell, on the porch of the Uplands, a dear friend's home, in Keene Valley, NY. It was love at first sight and that evening he reached his hand over to Kitty's and told her he would marry her; in June 1964, Lewis and Kitty were married in Princeton, N.J. just before his internship began at Bellevue in Manhattan. Lewis and Kitty were married for almost 30 years. Kitty was an accomplished writer, published poet and one time writer in residence at Yaddo. Tragically, in December of 1992, nine months after her diagnosis of malignant melanoma, Kitty died just after publishing her first book of poems.

Over the years from 1964-1976, Lewis and Kitty lived in many places for his post graduate training and military service, including Harlem and Augusta Georgia, Grover's Mill, NJ, London, UK, Paradise Valley, AZ. While in Georgia, Lewis was a Captain in the U.S. Army volunteering for service during the Vietnam War at Fort Gordon where he was "Chief of Hospital Clinics," and oversaw five divisions including emergency services which gave him valuable clinical, administrative and public health experiences. Lewis was awarded the National Defense Service Medal for meritorious service from 1966-1968 for his efforts. Shortly thereafter, he added "subspecialty boards" in EEG, EMG and clinical physiology to his education and practice. Additionally, Lewis became an examiner for the "American Board of Neurology" neurology boards, examining candidates for certification. Immediately after his neurology training, Lewis joined several successful physician groups in Scottsdale and Phoenix, AZ for his first private practice experience.

In 1974, Lewis and Kitty's only child was born, Heidi, and in 1976, they moved to Cooperstown, NY, where Lewis joined the senior staff of the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital ("Basset Hospital") and while also serving as an Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology at Columbia P&S as well as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Medicine (Neurology) at Dartmouth Medical School. Lewis was proud of being a doctor at Basset Hospital and noted that the combination of the Clark Foundation and Columbia University made possible what has been described as a successful "rural health prototype" with great academic credentials. Lewis had numerous publications in journals such as J.A.M.A. and the New England Journal of Medicine and greatly enjoyed teaching and practicing medicine. Before retiring from medicine in 1996, Lewis had over 10 distinguished appointments and certificates, was a member of four professional societies including being recognized as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

In addition to his medical contributions, Lewis was very active and engaged in his community and held over 15 senior leadership roles and board positions in a broad range of organizations related to conservation and education including serving as President of of the Otsego County Conservation Association, President of the Hudson Mohawk Neurosciences Society and the local Board of Directors of the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation while making many contributions to Yale over the years. Additionally, Lewis' love of the Adirondack mountains led him to become a member of the Ausable Club in St. Huberts, NY and his engagement in his local communities and his love of golf enabled him to enjoy the sport and friendships with fellow members of the Gasparilla Beach and Golf Club in Boca Grande, FL as well as the Cooperstown Country Club in Cooperstown, NY.

In 1993, Lewis married Lucy Battel Hager, known as "Bunny", who also lived in Cooperstown and was known for her humor, generosity and sense of adventure. Bunny was a generous philanthropist and patron of the Arts and was also a proud "angel" of the Dodger Production Group and on the board of Cole Kitchen, a London theatrical agency. Lewis and Bunny traveled the world over, celebrating almost 30 years of marriage until her death in 2023.

In 2024, Lewis met and proposed to the love of his life, Linda Low Wolcott of Boca Grande, FL and Salisbury, CT. Lewis' fiancée, Linda is an accomplished artist and graduated from Miss Porter's School and attended the Sorbonne, Paris, the Ecole Fleury Delaporte, Paris and has done additional study at the Parsons School of Design, New York and at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, Connecticut. Linda has exhibited her paintings at galleries in Connecticut, Maine, New York, Palm Beach and Boca Grande, Florida. Linda was also a successful business woman and while in New York, was vice president of Jean Laporte L'Artisan Parfumeur while also designing and selling her jewelry through the Kruger Gallery, New York. Lewis and Linda shared many things: their love of travel and adventure, long walks in Boca Grande as well as the woods of Salisbury, CT, shooting clays, entertaining their many friends and family. Their home was full of laughter, love, fun, family and friends (and their beloved dog) coming and going effortlessly filling their days with joy. Theirs was a love affair unrivaled in its beauty and depth.

Lewis was a brilliant gentleman who dearly loved his family and friends. He took tremendous pride in being intellectually curious and honest, had a wicked and dry sense of humor, a profound sense of right and wrong, and was well known for his kindness, affability, and optimism. Lewis was unassuming, thoughtful, and had a tremendous impact on those he loved and met throughout the course of his life. He is dearly missed.

Lewis is survived by his fiancée, Linda L. Wolcott, his daughter, Heidi H. Kerko (David) as well as his beloved grandchildren: Katharine Kerko, Alexander Kerko and Nicholas Kerko. Lewis' brothers, John W. Hamilton (Debbie), Herbert H. Hamilton (Dian), and Richard G. Hamilton predeceased him. Lewis' family includes those he loved as if they were his own children: nephews, John B. Hamilton and his sons, Dr. Baker Hamilton (Emily), Capt. John Hamilton, USMC, (Lise); John S. Hamilton (Pamela); nieces, Nancy Hamilton (Chip) & her daughter, Ellie Styzkiel (Adam); Elizabeth Lavezzorio (Nicholas) her sons, William and Nicholas; niece Brooke Mullenix (Michael) and nephew Thomas Hamilton. Lewis also would like to remember his extended family including Heidi B. Humes (Bill), Helena VCB Humes, Julie F. Humes, Lucy Townsend, Shelley Graham (Tom), Lyman Townsend (Amy) and their families.

Two memorial services are being planned: one in Boca Grande, FL this fall and the second in Keene Valley, NY in the Spring, the details of which will be forthcoming as soon as they are finalized. Contributions in Lewis' honor, in lieu of flowers please, may be made to any of the organizations he appreciated supporting including ATIS (Adirondack Trail Improvement Society), Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, The Johann Fust Library Foundation, and the Buckley Institute at Yale University.