Kenneth Poe Funeral Services

January 20, 2025

CHARLOTTE – Grey Hunter Hamilton passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, January 20, 2025, following a long and courageous battle with lymphoma.

The only child of the late Richard “Tex” and Isabel (Reid) Hunter, Grey was a native Charlottean who was raised in Eastover and spent her final days in the home she loved, which was coincidentally right next door to the home she grew up in.

A kind, loving, and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother, Grey’s love for her family was legendary.  She was never happier than when she was surrounded by her children and grandchildren.  She loved to laugh.  Her kind and gentle nature, cheerful demeanor, and loving sense of humor were gifts to all who were fortunate enough to be in her presence.  Her lifelong love of and devotion to her late husband, Dr. James Pressly Hamilton, was an enduring example of commitment for everyone around her.

A woman of strong Christian faith, Grey was an active member of several churches during her lifetime–from Covenant Presbyterian, to Calvary Church, to Myers Park United Methodist and St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.  For many decades she enjoyed her church communities and Bible studies.

At St. Marks, Grey was known to routinely volunteer at the Soup Kitchen, where she would serve meals to the hungry and offer them a word of encouragement.  She was best known, however, for her gorgeous singing voice and musical ability.  A music major in college, she truly loved being an active member of the church choir and made some of her dearest friends within the music community.  Grey was also a talented pianist who had the incredible ability to hear a song and then play it by ear on the piano with no sheet music.  Able to seamlessly transition from Tchaikovsky to a medley of Broadway showtunes, her talent was awe-inspiring and a source of great joy for her children and grandchildren.  In her later years, she enjoyed filming short piano duets with her musician grandson James, and she was bemused by the number of reactions those videos got when he posted them online.

A graduate of Myers Park High School and alumnus of both Converse College and Queens College, Grey married Jim Hamilton in June of 1962 and joined him in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during his medical school years at the University of Pennsylvania.  Though at graduation Jim had offers to practice medicine in Pennsylvania, including with his mentor, Dr. C. Everett Koop, it was Grey who declared that they would move back home to her beloved Charlotte to start and raise their family.  In later years, Dr. Koop would half-jokingly declare to Grey’s son Hunter that he never forgave Grey for this decision.

Grey, or “Gracie” as she was known to her grandchildren, was a devoted fan of “I Love Lucy” and could recite dialogue from every episode because she had seen them so many times.  She passed the love of that TV show down to her children and grandchildren.  The proud owner of a notorious sweet tooth, she never met a chocolate dessert that she didn't want to sample, and she often would plan her meal in a restaurant around whichever chocolate dessert she most fancied while perusing the menu.  She would not let a Christmas season go by without watching the 1970 musical version of “Scrooge” starring Albert Finney.  She adored spending quality time with dear friends, watching movies, reading mystery novels and her newspaper every day, and keeping up with current events.  She loved musical theater, the symphony, organ recitals, scary movies and family beach trips, insisting on a nightly Alfred Hitchcock movie while on vacation.

In 1992, she and her husband Jim–in honor of their parents–established the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award at Davidson College, which quickly became and remains the school’s most prestigious teaching award.  Each year, Grey and her family would host the winners of the award and their spouses to a delicious meal in her home, a tradition that she continued to the end (and now happily continues with her grown children hosting).

Grey and Jim subsequently established the same award at Queens College (now Queens University) in 1998 to continue their quest of recognizing and honoring those professors who distinguish themselves by the exemplary level of quality teaching provided to their students. 

Grey is survived by her daughter, Isabel; her son, Hunter (Jenna); her grandchildren, Ashley, James, Hannah, Reid, and Ian; a very large and loving extended family of Hunters, Presslys, McGills, and Hamiltons; and a wonderful community of very dear friends.  She was preceded in death by her husband Jim in 1998.

The family would also like to take this opportunity to thank the incredible and loving care team of Joyce, Terrie, Roslyn, and Sandra who worked with such professionalism, diligence, and loving kindness to care for Gracie in her final days, including daily prayers.

A memorial service honoring and celebrating Grey’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church.  In tribute to Grey’s lifelong love of music, a musical prelude will begin at 10:30 AM.  The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations can be made in Grey’s memory to the music ministry at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 1001 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207.

Arrangements are in the care of Kenneth W. Poe Funeral & Cremation Service, 1321 Berkeley Ave., Charlotte, NC 28204; (704) 641-7606. Online condolences may be shared at www.kennethpoeservices.com.