Services for Councilor Bob Hamel to be held on Thursday

LACONIA — Services for Bob Hamel, longtime city councilor for Ward 5, will be held on Thursday, June 22, at St. Andre Bessette Parish – Sacred Heart Church, with a calling hour from 10 to 11 a.m. A Mass of Christian burial will follow. A graveside service with military honors will be held on Monday, June 26, at 9 a.m. at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen.

Hamel had taken a leave of absence from his ninth term on council to undergo cancer treatment. He died June 12 at Spaulding Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 72. He leaves behind a wife, Kaye, one son, Todd, and two grandchildren.

Hamel was a Laconia native, according to his obituary, published Saturday. He was born to Armand and Gemma Hamel on April 28, 1951. He lived his whole life in the city, with the exception of the four years he served as a missile systems analyst for the U.S. Air Force in Kansas. It was in Kansas he and Kaye welcomed Todd, just before returning home to Laconia.

Hamel worked as a part-time city police officer for a decade, but made his career as a repair technician for Sears. But, in many ways, it was through volunteering that he left the biggest mark on his community.

Shortly after settling back in his native city, Hamel was part of a small team who established Christmas Village, a holiday celebration that creates a North Pole experience, complete with a chance to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a gift, at no charge. Christmas Village has grown to become one of the city’s most popular traditions, with thousands coming to visit each year.

Hamel remained committed to Christmas Village, helping to construct the temporary structures and assemble and install all the details that filled the Laconia Community Center with Christmas magic for one weekend every year.

Skip Hounsell first met Hamel when they were both working for LPD — Hounsell was the animal control officer at the time. The two fell out of contact for years, but Hounsell heard from Hamel again in 1987. Christmas Village needed someone to play the role of Santa, and Hamel thought Hounsell had what it took.

“To this date, I’m still at Christmas Village,” Hounsell said. “Bob was there, year after year,” and his motivation was clear. “It’s for the kids, it’s all for the kids,” Hamel would say.

Housell figured Hamel’s philosophy regarding his community came from his mother. “His work ethic was 'I’m going to make it better, or we’re going to figure something out.'” And Hounsell said he carried that perspective as he filled roles in civic life.

“He had his fingers on the pulse of Laconia. I know some people didn’t like what he did, but he was always saying, ‘How can we make this better?’” and Hamel would stick with the problem until he had achieved that goal, Hounsell said.

He was also privileged to see Hamel in a different light, as part of a club of Honda Goldwing motorcycle riders. Hounsell said Hamel was a “great leader” of long-distance treks, such as to Wisconsin or Nashville. He recalled one time when Hounsell’s motorcycle broke down in Maryland, and though he was stranded, he knew he wasn’t alone.

“Bob was right there. He was like, ‘I’m not going to leave you here by yourself, we’re going to take care of this,’” Hounsell recalled. “He just cared about people. It didn’t matter who you were.”

After establishing Christmas Village, Hamel began to work more directly for the city. He started with the Parks and Recreation Commission, on which he served for 10 years. Then, when the city council seat for his neighborhood was vacated mid-term, Hamel was appointed. That was in 2005, and his constituency saw fit to return him to the seat in every election since.

Todd, Bob and Kaye’s son, said his father’s service was never about himself, but always about what he could do for others.

“My dad thought a lot of the city. He grew up here, he didn’t become a councilor or do things in the city to be in a position, or to have some sort of sway or power. He wanted to do what he could to make the city a better place, to see it grow and prosper,” Todd said.

Todd described his father as a “selfless servant,” who did things for the outcome rather than the spotlight. Todd, a colonel in the U.S. Army, recalled times when he would come home to visit, and Bob would take him on a tour of the project of the day: the new middle school, the renovated Huot Career and Technical Center at the high school, the high school's modernized athletic fields, or, most recently, the refurbished Colonial Theatre. Todd said when they arrived at the construction site, the supervisor and the workers would all know who his father was, indicating to Todd that Bob was keeping a close eye on the project to ensure everything was being done according to the appropriate specifications.

“My dad was very particular about spending money, he didn’t do anything without researching it, making sure it made sense,” Todd said. “He treated the budget, the taxpayer money, like it was his money, and he wouldn’t foolishly spend money. He was very deliberate, and made sure that there was value in what was being done, and that it was the best thing for the people.”

At home, Todd said his father was “firm but fair,” and passed on his work ethic. “He wasn’t afraid of work, he liked to roll up his sleeves, that’s what he passed to me. He was demanding, and he had high expectations of being a good person, caring about people, doing what was right, and working hard ... Work for what you’ve got, don’t expect it to be handed to you. And it worked.”

“Bob Hamel was Bob Hamel,” Todd said. “I don’t think there’s many like him.”