Donor Story
A humble and hard-working man, Dan Hamilton along with his wife have been maintaining Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in Pettis Corners, PA for over 15 years. Dan’s first wife, Judy, helped him for 10 years before she died suddenly at just 45 years of age.
A story in the Faith Magazine about another donor’s efforts to endow a beloved cemetery caught Dan’s eye. With the future of Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery in mind, Dan called the Catholic Foundation to inquire about arranging a “forever legacy” to ensure maintenance of the cemetery beyond his lifetime. "My first wife is buried there, and I will be," Dan shares. His parents, his grandfather, and many aunts and uncles are buried in the cemetery. Most recently Dan’s 21-year-old grandson, Jesse, passed away following a battle with cancer. Dan and his daughter thoughtfully selected their family plot where Jesse was laid to rest.
As a self-described “saver,” and one who lives simply, Dan makes well-thought-out financial decisions. He asked a lot of questions about endowments, the Foundation, and how gifts are secured for use as intended. Dan’s main concern was that his charitable gift would not be used for anything but the cemetery. Once satisfied that the Catholic Foundation enables Dan to accomplish his goal of secure and perpetual maintenance of his beloved cemetery, he visited his financial advisor to arrange funding The Hamilton Endowment.
It takes Dan over three hours with a riding mower, then trimming on top of that, to keep the cemetery well maintained. He takes pride in trimming around every stone. “I just want to preserve this,” Dan says, walking through the cemetery, pointing out the names of friends and relatives. “I knew a lot of these people that are here so it’s kind of a good feeling in a way.” But Dan just doesn’t have the same energy now that he used to have. The original church building was right next door to the cemetery. Without the church, there aren’t regular burials or other sources of income. “I hope what I planned will take care of it,” he shares.
Although Saints Peter and Paul Church was “taken down" in 2016, the parish’s legacy in its cemetery is preserved. Saints Peter and Paul was Dan’s parish all his life. At the time of the church’s demolition, pavers and bricks were sold to raise funds to build a small memorial to the church in the cemetery. The original church bell was saved to be incorporated into the memorial. Dan enjoys knowing his name and names of many family members are represented on bricks and pavers that honor the legacy of the parish.
Dan shares that involvement in the parish has always been a source of stability for him. His parish community now is at Saint Hippolyte, which has financial responsibility for Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery. “When I told the parish finance council what I did they were amazed and glad,” he smiles.
A Vietnam veteran, Dan was a tool maker for forty years. With faith, family, and hard work as priorities in his life, Dan now enjoys peace of mind knowing that Saints Peter and Paul Cemetery will be funded and well maintained beyond his lifetime because of the endowment he established in the Catholic Foundation.
“My first wife is buried there, and I will be. I hope what I planned will take care of the cemetery.”