Joan Nushawg Hamilton

Mrs. David D. Hamilton, age 102, passed away peacefully at her home on March 14, 2026.

Born Joan Fields Nushawg on July 6, 1923, in Dayton, Ohio, she was the daughter of the late Oliver C. and Donna Macey Nushawg. Joan grew up with her three siblings in Dayton, where she graduated from Roosevelt High School. She later met Lt. David Downing Hamilton, who was stationed at Wright Field, and the two were married in November 1944. The newlywed couple remained in Dayton until Lt. Hamilton was released from the Army, at which time they moved to his hometown of Dalton, Georgia.

After the war, Joan volunteered at Hamilton Memorial Hospital as part of the Gray Lady Service and devoted herself to her role as a homemaker while raising two sons. As the wife of the president of Crown Cotton Mills—then one of Dalton’s largest corporations—Joan stood alongside her husband during his decades of leadership in both industry and civic life, including roles as a trustee and chairman of the Dalton-Whitfield County Hospital Authority and as a trustee and lifetime associate of the Whitfield Healthcare Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Hamilton Medical Center. Both Joan and her late husband will be remembered for their generosity and enduring commitment to advancing state-of-the-art healthcare in the Dalton community.

Joan was a skilled bridge player who enjoyed hosting friends, family, and fellow club members for games, lively conversation, and her delicious homemade shortbread. An avid reader, she especially loved mystery novels and, even after her 102nd birthday, continued to enjoy one of her favorite pastimes—watching Turner Classic Movies.

In addition to her parents, Joan was preceded in death by her beloved husband, David Downing Hamilton, Sr.; her son, David Downing Hamilton, Jr.; her brothers, Donald (Jane) Nushawg and Robert “Bob” Nushawg; and her sister, Doris Nushawg (Frank) Brooks.

She is survived by her son, Dana Fields Hamilton of Dalton, Georgia; three granddaughters, Katie Hamilton (Clayton) Bonjean of Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, Rebecca Hamilton (Tim) Durkin of Jacksonville, Florida, and Dr. Hayley Hamilton (Rob) Shell of Nashville, Tennessee; and six great-grandchildren: Frank and Ava Kate Bonjean; Finn, Clare, and Piper Durkin; and Hugh Shell. She also leaves behind many extended family members and friends who will cherish her memory.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, March 23, at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Love Funeral Home, with the Rev. Walter Jones officiating. Burial will follow at West Hill Cemetery, next to her husband and youngest son. Mr. Dana Hamilton, Mr. Frank Hubbs, Mr. Reggie Mullinax, Mr. Clayton Bonjean, Mr. Tim Durkin, and Mr. Rob Shell will serve as pallbearers.

The family will receive friends at Love Funeral Home on Monday from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to a favorite charity.

Condolences and messages of sympathy may be expressed for Joan's family through Love Funeral Home's online guestbook.