Stanley William Hamilton

STANLEY W. HAMILTON

** Life Celebration for Stanley W. Hamilton. Friends and family are invited to gather for a Life Celebration on Saturday, June 10^th from 5-7pm at Johnny’s Tavern, 401 N. 2^nd Street, Lawrence, KS. The downstairs back room is reserved for the event. Come and share stories and recollections of Stanley. **

Stanley W. Hamilton, a former member of The Kansas City Star’s staff, died May 26, 2017 in Lawrence, KS, where he had lived since 2004 upon retiring after a 47-year career in Washington, D.C., in journalism and in trade association and government positions. He was 83.
Born in Grand Island, NE, he moved to Kansas City, MO, with his parents, Robert Wylie and Margaret Olive (Stanley) in 1939. He graduated from Southwest High School and earned a Journalism Degree from the University of Kansas in 1955.
Stan’s journalism career started as a reporter in 1953 for The Kansas City Star’s morning Times edition, and he became a copy editor in 1956. In 1957, he took a position as associate editor of Traffic World, a Washington-based transportation business publication, and eventually covered Congress. Subsequently, he was chief of the publications staff of the U.S. Department of Transportation, public affairs director of the National Association of Motor Bus Owners, executive director of the Truckload Carriers Association and copy editor of Transport Topics, the trucking industry weekly newspaper.
Stan authored the nonfiction book “Machine Gun Kelly’s Last Stand,” which was published in 2003 by the University Press of Kansas. He also authored “Transportation U.S.A.,” which the U.S. Information Agency issued in 1968 in its Facts About America series for overseas distribution. He was a longtime member of the board of governors of the National Press Club of Washington, and was a member of the Kansas Writers Association and Kansas Authors Club.
Stan was married to Barbara Johnson from 1954 to 1971, and she survives in Wellington, KS. Children of this union include: Susan Hamilton of Phoenix, AZ, son Robert Hamilton and his wife Sharon and their daughter Kathryn of Bartlesville, OK, daughter Jennifer LeJuerrne and her husband Ken and their daughter Ashley of Wichita, KS. He remarried in 1974 to Frances Anne Webster, who died in 1995. Their son Arthur Hamilton and his wife Teri and their children Kaley and Conner, reside in Yorktown, VA.
Stan was a unique character. He was quick-witted with a sharp sense of humor. He was young at heart, a life-long learner, enjoyed people, and had friends of all ages. Stan was a storyteller, and loved to recount experiences from his youth, University of Kansas, and the Washington political world. Family, friends and neighbors were extremely important to him and he will be deeply missed by all.
Celebration of Life service pending. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Lawrence Meals on Wheels.