Joe Clay Hamilton

A service to honor the life of Joe Clay Hamilton will be held on Friday, April 14, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home (6300 Hwy. 39 North, Meridian, MS 39305) with Father Austin McGehee officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery. While the family will not have a visitation, the public is welcome and encouraged to join the family at the service and at graveside. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Joe Clay was born in Philadelphia, MS to Kossuth Dewitt Hamilton and Edna Maxine Parker Hamilton on November 2, 1928. Born into a financially struggling family, Joe Clay began working in grade school to help put food on the family table. It was that work ethic learned at a young age that helped to make him a tireless champion for so many people over the years. Throughout his life, it was a common occurrence for him to be approached while out in public by a former client, or a family member of a former client, telling Joe Clay about how much he had helped them during a time of need.

Joe Clay Hamilton’s life was filled with a wide array of interests, hobbies, and achievements: he obtained his pilot’s license at the age of 13; he served in the Army during WWII while stationed in the Pacific; he was a reporter for the Atlanta Journal; he was elected to numerous public offices, including County Prosecutor, District Attorney, and State Senator; and he was a successful practicing attorney for more than 50 years. As a reporter, Joe Clay enjoyed getting to interview numerous well-known public figures - such as Ronald Regan, Lydon B. Johnson, Bob Hope, and Zha Zha Gabor to name a few. He also held daily meetings with Mayor William B. Hartsfield (for whom the Atlanta airport is named) during his time as a reporter, which was what first piqued his interest in politics. Ultimately, Joe Clay’s interest in government led him back to Mississippi to become an attorney.

Joe Clay Hamilton ran for public office five times, winning all five of those contests, with three elections coming against entrenched incumbents. Joe Clay first served in office in 1961 when he was elected Lauderdale County Attorney, where he served two terms, before going on to successfully run for the position of Lauderdale County District Attorney for the Tenth Judicial District, where he served two terms. In 1991, Joe Clay Hamilton ran for a seat in the Mississippi State Senate, which he won by defeating long-time incumbent Glenn Deweese.

Whether in law or in politics, Joe Clay’s passion was helping those who most needed a voice. In 1994, while serving as a State Senator, Joe Clay Hamilton was awarded the advocacy award by The Mississippi State Coalition Against Domestic Violence - an award presented to only one legislator each year - for his role in getting long-overdue spousal abuse laws enacted. And in 1995, Joe Clay was awarded the Certificate of Excellence by the NAACP for role in sponsoring, and record in supporting, legislation aimed at achieving equality under the law.

Joe Clay Hamilton received numerous accolades during his fifty-plus years of practicing law, including being selected in 2010 as Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Mississippi Trial Lawyers Association; receiving the AV Preeminent rating, which is the highest rating available for legal ability and ethics, by Martindale Hubbell; and being chosen as Chairman of the state-wide Workers' Compensation Commission in 1994.

Joe Clay was an avid learner who had a thirst for knowledge, and it wasn’t uncommon to find him taking a deep dive into a complex topic just for the sake of quenching his endless curiosity. He always had a hobby to keep him entertained, and they varied from building model cars, to collecting stamps, to drafting blueprints for houses – many of which were built throughout Meridian, including having designed multiple houses that his family lived in throughout the years.

More than anything, Joe Clay was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Joe Clay was a constant source of optimism, as well as being a master entertainer who was always keen to use his quick wit (or employ one of his seemingly thousands of jokes) to bring a smile to his family’s faces. And there was hardly a dull moment with Joe Clay around, as he had many stories he had accumulated throughout his years in the military, journalism, and law, which he loved to tell if given the opportunity. Joe Clay loved planning and taking the family on cross-country road trips, and he enjoyed taking frequent family vacations to the Destin, Florida area. Joe Clay is survived by his wife of forty-three years, Paula; three sons, John, Joel (Kelly), and Kevin (Laurin); grandchildren, Allison (Oreon), Maverick (Sha), Zella, Quenby, Jennings, Jules, and Laney; and great grandchildren, Vesper, Amiliza, Madilyn, Teagan, Levi, and Meliora. He was preceded in death by his oldest son, Clay Hamilton.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Mississippi Food Network, Samaritan’s Purse, or a favorite charity.