A longtime Northwest Iowa judge has passed away.
The Honorable Tom Hamilton died of natural causes on December 23rd, 2025, in Arizona, where he had been spending the winter and was receiving hospice care. He was 93.
Hamilton attended Hartley schools and earned his law degree from the University of Iowa in 1957 before returning home to practice law. He was active in the American Bar Association and the Iowa State Bar Association, serving on the state bar’s Board of Governors and as a director of its foundation.
In 1976, Hamilton was appointed by Governor Robert Ray as a District Court Judge for the newly created Judicial District 3A, serving ten counties in Northwest Iowa. He retired in 2003 after 27 years on the bench.
No formal services are planned. A celebration of life will be held in the Iowa Great Lakes area this coming summer.
This story is courtesy of KUOO
