Haden Sigman Hamilton III, age 86, of Springfield, Missouri, went home to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 22,2023.

Sig was born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 19, 1936. He was a retired Home Missionary with the Southern Baptist Convention. He directed the Grand Oak Baptist Mission Center for twenty-six years for the Greene County Baptist Association. He was also known as the "Happy Hour Minister" for over 25 years for his Bar Ministry around Springfield. He was a member of First Baptist Church Springfield when he was a young boy, during his college years and then again from 1981 to present when he returned to Springfield permanently.  He served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves from 1955-1963 and was a lifetime member of the Marine Corps League, Southwest Missouri Detachment, where he served as chaplain for four years. He was a graduate of Drury College in 1961 with an AB degree in History and Psychology. He attended Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri and graduated from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia in 1978 with a Master of Theology degree.

Prior to coming back to Springfield in 1981, Sig served as Community Program Director for the YMCA in Atlanta and Savannah, GA. He also served as Public Relations Director and Caseworker for the Big Brother-Big Sister Agency in Atlanta and Executive Director for the Big Brother-Big Sister Agency in Dalton, GA.

He and Janet Bayer were married July 22, 1961, and were blessed to share 62 years together before his passing on their anniversary. He was preceded in death by his parents Haden S. and Frances Hamilton of Atlanta, GA. He is survived by his wife Jan, a daughter and son-in-law Jenny and Chris Wassam and grand-daughters Molly and Annie all of Springfield; daughter and son-in-law Julie and Larry Flanagan of Augusta GA, grand-daughter Alayna of Dalton, GA; a brother and sister-in-law Jack and Nancy Hamilton of Knoxville, Tennessee and numerous other relatives.

Sig was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, who loved the Lord with all his heart and loved serving in a ministry to others. Outside of the ministry and his family, Sig loved the University of Georgia Bulldogs football team and the Atlanta Braves (where he played for a week on three different occasions at the Braves Fantasy Camp in Florida. His favorite moment was where he pitched one inning of shut-out ball as a relief pitcher against the ex-pros).

Sig also loved telling jokes and the more you laughed at his jokes the more jokes he told. He just loved being around people.

Sig's family would like to say a special thank you to the amazing care team from Terrace Hospice and Cornerstone Caregiving.  These wonderful people showed Sig so much love, honor and care and went above and beyond and our family is truly grateful for their service. What a blessing you all are.

Visitation will be Thursday, July 27,2023 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be held on Friday, July 28 at 10:00 AM at First Baptist Church, with Rev. Michael Overton officiating. Burial will follow at the Patterson Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Springfield, 525 South Avenue, Springfield, Missouri 65806.