Obituary: David C. Hamilton, 1954-2025

David
C. Hamilton of South Burlington, Vt., died unexpectedly on Monday,
January 20, 2025, while hiking on Mount Philo, his most sacred of
places.

Born
in Columbus, Ohio, on February 1, 1954, to Jack and Sheila Hamilton
and his two-year-old brother Mike, (now far older), David spent most
of his childhood in Southington, Conn., where he grew up during the
1960s with music all around. His early love of Southern rock and
blues (read: the Allman Brothers) never left him but evolved into his
own beautiful guitar composing and ultimately into a passion for Pat
Metheny, Aaron Parks, Dead Can Dance, Steely Dan, Miles Davis and so
many more.

After
a stint at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont, David decided to
enter the working world. Many old-time Burlingtonians will remember
him from the first gas station Ben and Jerry’s, Deja Vu, the Daily
Planet, the Black Rose in Winooski and Rock Point School, where he
evolved from dorm parent to dean of students. While at Rock Point, he
went back to school at the University of Vermont and earned a BA in
English. He then attended Antioch New England, earning a master’s
in psychology; there was an academic in there, after all.

David
was always drawn to the natural world, especially birds. His homes
and dreams were filled with their images, particularly herons and,
more recently, owls. During his return to college, David became
interested in dreams, their interpretations and messages. While at
Antioch, he dove into Carl G. Jung and dream analysis. He longed to
explore the world of the unconscious more deeply and applied to the
Jung Institute in Zurich, Switzerland. Making the decision to leave
family and friends was not easy, but after dreaming he was flying
over Europe on a heron’s back, he found the strength to make the
leap of faith and move to Zurich, which would become a place of great
significance for him.

David
returned to the states in 1998 with a PhD in Jungian psychology and
his then-wife, Elena Lazo, to have their first child, Adam. They
moved to the shores of Maine, where David started his practice, and
six years later had their daughter, Mircea. Adam and Mircea were
always the true loves of his life and the subjects for exuberant
stories of their lives, their talents and their sensibilities. His
relationship with Mircea was one marked with laughter, chatter, a
deep love of reading and car trips with “Cinnamon Girl” echoing
in the background. Mircea’s artwork lined his walls and was a
source of intense pride. Adam and David met each other on many
levels, from Adam’s piano playing to chess to shared interest in
neuroscience and dream interpretation. They will miss their dad
limitlessly, and his spirit will live forever in them.

David
was a beloved analyst for his many clients in Maine, Vermont and
ultimately worldwide. He was a serious psychologist with a penchant
for the silly and serendipitous. A gentle and wise soul, he was a
beacon of hope and faith to many, a rock to his children, his loved
ones and his clients. Everyone in his life felt as if they had a
special connection with him, that they were seen and heard. He found
meaning in everything from an Ent-like tree to the conversation
between owls to the sun breaking through the clouds over Lake
Champlain.

And
over and over, he returned to Mount Philo to walk its paths, meditate
on its beauty, share it with fellow hikers, watch the sun rise and
set, and see the stars come out and one of his most favorite
sightings, a catamount with kit in mouth jump the access road in
front of him. Naturally, Mount Philo was the place he finished his
final chapter. David opened himself completely to the natural world
and its symbolism and so was the recipient of its many gifts.

Lest
we present a social media-like image of David, we offer that he was a
complicated person. (Aren’t we all?) He held his loved ones to high
standards and let them know when they fell short. And he fell short
sometimes, too. And we loved him and love him and always will.

David
was predeceased by his parents, Jack and Sheila, and leaves behind
his children, Adam and Mircea; his brother Mike and wife Daria of
Topsham, Maine, and their daughters, Megan, Emma and Samantha;
brother Greg and wife Mary Beth of Ferrisburgh, Vt., and their
daughters, Lily and Isabel; and his sister, Mary, of Winooski, Vt.,
and her children, Jack, Will and Maggie. He also leaves his
great-nieces and -nephews, who will come to know him only through
story.

Visiting
hours: Tuesday, January 28, 5:30-7:30pm, Stephen C. Gregory and Son,
472 Meadownland Dr., South Burlington, VT. A celebration of David’s
life will be held at a later date in the spring.

This article appears in Jan 22-28, 2025.