Richard King Hamlen, Jr., 82, passed away peacefully at his home in West Roxbury, on Thursday, February 22, 2018. His beloved wife, the late Bard Rogers Hamlen, passed away in August 2016; they were married for 57 years.
Richard is survived by his three children, Sara, Polly and Peter, and his three siblings, Ann Goldsmith of Buffalo, NY, Katharine Reed of Gaylordsville, CT, and Charles Hamlen of New York City, NY.
Born in Schenectady, NY, on September 27, 1935, Richard was the eldest son of Richard King Hamlen and Caroline Schuyler (Jenkins) Hamlen. He attended Harvard College (Class of 1957), where he met Bard. He worked for Dun and Bradstreet, Roxbury Action Program (RAP), and Motorola. Once retired, he sang with the Metropolitan Chorale and the Needham Retired Men’s Glee Club; his cheerful attitude and lovely voice will be missed dearly. He spent his summers in Jaffrey, NH, and loved the Monadnock region. He was a devoted and beloved husband, brother, father, uncle, and friend.
Richard lived courageously with leukemia for four and a half years. His family would particularly like to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, for all their extraordinary care and support.
A funeral service celebrating his life will be held at 11am on March 3rd at Christ Church Episcopal Needham (1132 Highland Avenue, Needham, MA, 02494). Interment private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to the Metropolitan Chorale, the Society For Preservation of NH Forests, or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.