Obituary of Joseph Vincent Mckenzie-Hamilton

Joseph Vincent McKenzie-Hamilton March 30, 1968 - July 8, 2020 Husband of 27 years, father of three remarkable children, devoted to the Catholic Worker movement for over 30 years, committed to the dignity and independence of residents at Westside Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH) for 29 years, man of deep faith his entire life, Joseph Vincent McKenzie-Hamilton died at home from sudden cardiac arrest on Wednesday, July 8, 2020. Joe is survived by his wife Sabra, son Adam (23), daughter Sophia (21), and son Brendan (18). Joe was a loving spouse, father, brother, son, uncle, colleague, and friend who cared more for others than he did for himself. Joe had a way about him that made people feel important and see their inherent worth. He grounded himself in the spiritual and intellectual resources at his disposal--writings and autobiographies of spiritual and historical heroes, stories and prayers of the saints, quotes he transcribed or cut out and taped in his journals, physical objects that brought him joy (from walking sticks to wooden boxes to icons). He also developed a practice of writing letters, a way of connecting to those whom he loved from a distance. But it was really his disarming (and often irreverent) humor, his willingness to be silly and vulnerable, his intellectual and lived passion for justice, his active and honest work to wrestle with and manage depression, and his deep and abiding commitment to showing up for others that made him the man so many depended on, cared about, and admired. Joe was also an extremely hard worker with many competing responsibilities, and he grappled with a persistent and relentless need for retreat and restoration. His family often joked about his signature “Irish goodbye,” and it is doesn’t escape us that he has done just that to take a deep, longed-for rest with the communion of saints. We are just so sad we can’t give him a hard time for it. Joe graduated from Monsignor Farrell High School in Staten Island (1986) and Fordham University with a B.A. in Philosophy (1990) and M.A in Religion and Religious Studies (1996). During his undergraduate studies, Joe was introduced to the Catholic Worker movement as well as the socio-political movements in Central America. Upon graduation, he spent a year at the Long Beach Catholic Worker, participating in a number of actions for peace and justice. He worked with Pastors for Peace and in the summer of 1991 helped drive farming equipment from Chicago to communities in Nicaragua. That September he met Sabra in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. In November, they met up again in El Salvador at the second anniversary commemoration of the murder of 6 Jesuits, their housekeeper and her daughter at the University of Central America and later volunteered at a community of repatriated refugees called Nueva Esperanza. Joe and Sabra moved to St. Joseph House Catholic Worker in January 1992 and were married there on May 15, 1993. Joe continued to run annual holiday (Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) meals at the Catholic Worker with his family for over 20 years and added Saturday morning shifts for the past 8. Joe loved learning about people and their cultures, and he learned greetings (and curse words) from many languages, using them to greet others in their mother tongue. He had a particular love for Ireland and his Irish ancestry as well as Central and Latin America. Over his lifetime, Joe participated in many volunteer and peace-related journeys, from Peru to Palestine, from Hiroshima & Nagasaki to Vieques, Puerto Rico. Joe and Sabra taught Confirmation classes at Nativity Parish from 1993-2008, and Joe was a long-standing member of the Alien Band, playing guitar at folk masses at the Church of the Good Shepherd and Visitation. After the family moved from the East Village to Inwood in 2010, Joe also served two terms as Good Shepherd’s Men’s Club President to help fundraise for the local Good Shepherd School. Joe deeply loved the people of San Lucas Tolíman, Guatemala, helping support his sister-in-law Berta and brother Jamie with their lifetime commitment to Berta’s community. In 1992, Joe began working overnight shifts at Frederic Fleming House which serves the needs of older homeless individuals who benefit from congregate supportive housing. He was named Director in 1996. In 2010 he became founding director of The Claremont, with 24 units of affordable family housing and 90 units of supportive congregate housing for low-income residents who are 50 and older, many of whom have been homeless. In 2018, Joe became the Director of Quality Assurance for the agency, helping to design and offer trainings agency-wide, working with the staff he loved, bringing to life the mission, and helping keep the focus on the dignity of each individual. Joe was also on the board for the Bronx Housing and Healthcare Consortium. More than anything, Joe loved his family. In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by his parents Joseph and Gertrude Hamilton; sister Jeanne Hamilton-Cruz and husband Ben Cruz and their son Ben; brother James Hamilton, wife Berta, son Paul, and daughter Annie; paternal uncle Robert Hamilton and wife Carol; paternal aunt Sr. Jeanne Hamilton, OSU; maternal uncle Martin Kelly and wife Mary; mother-in-law Lori McKenzie; sister-in-law Erin McKenzie Mulvey, husband Terence, daughter Caoilfhionn, and son Ian. Joe was godfather to Brook Peters, Paul Hamilton, Lorenzo Lopez, Sophia Dow, and Allie Crocker. Our Joe was a thoughtful guide who stood at the sidelines to bring others to the center. He was a disciplined man of faith who was open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. He was a brilliant thinker and avid reader who loved learning. He was a tireless worker for justice and practitioner of mercy. We pray that his soul is now in deep peace alongside the saints and heroes of his heart. If you wish to offer a gift in honor of Joe, please feel free to contribute directly to The New York Catholic Worker, 36 East 1st Street, NY, NY 10003 or Friends of San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala. Zoom Mass in Honor of Joe Friday, July 10, 2020 @ 5 :00 p.m. Fr. John Sheehan, a Jesuit friend Joe’s brother Jamie, will be offering a Mass in honor of Joe. He will read the Gospel from the Beatitudes and will give an opportunity for people to offer a memory of Joe. From Jamie: “Let us come together and participate in honor my brother whom I loved so much.” https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74262914813 To view on your computer use the link below. John Sheehan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Mass for Joe Hamilton Time: Jul 10, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/74262914813 Meeting ID: 742 6291 4813 Wake Sunday, July 12, 2020 @ 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. at Riverdale Funeral Home 5044 Broadway (214th Street) NY, NY 10034 Limit of 50 inside the space at a time (with mask), open area in the parking lot outside. Funeral Mass Monday, July 13, 2020 @ 10:00 a.m. At Church of the Good Shepherd 608 Isham Street NY, NY 10034 We believe there is a maximum of 150 capacity in the church for social distancing. Burial to follow Gate of Heaven Cemetery Lot 4, 155, 15 10 West Stevens Avenue Hawthore, NY 10532 To give and not to take that is what makes us human. To serve and not to rule that is what makes us human. To help and not to crush that is what makes us human. To nourish and not to devour that is what makes us human. And if need be to die and not to live that is what makes us human. Ideals and not deals that is what makes us human. Creed and not greed that is what makes us human. -Peter Maurin