Funeral Tony Hamilton

The Celebration of life for Deacon Tony Hamilton

Jan 30, 2022

On behalf of the family we would like to welcome you here to the Celebrate Deacon Tony Hamilton’s life and ministry to the Lord.

The 23rd Psalm is often read during times like this because people believe that it is a psalm of death, but as I read it, it is a Psalm of life and comfort.

Listen to these words written so long ago.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Let us pray.

Father in Heaven, we know that you are with us in this present time of sorrow as we share the celebration the life of your servant Tony Hamilton. We wish that this gathering be one that is uplifting to you yet comforting to us. Comfort us in our sorrow and pain. Help us to remember all the great things that Tony accomplished in his life through you. Strengthen us for the days to come when we will miss him the most.

In your Son Jesus Christ Name, we ask Amen and Amen.

Song Sam- Come to Jesus

Poem My little Brother – Lula

Reflections

At this time that I would like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a brief testimony or statement celebrating the life of Tony.

Please stay to a 2-minute time.

Cassandra will begin first.

There are two microphones up front we ask that you use them and to move up front when one is not occupied.

Eulogy

Anthony (Tony) Eugene Hamilton was born in Staunton, Virginia on September 26, 1957.

Tony passed through this world to his heavenly home on January 26th, 2022, at home with his wife by his side.

Tony was raised in Staunton as the youngest of five children. He attended Robert E Lee High School where he excelled in many sports including baseball, basketball, football, and track.

He attended Virginia Military Institute from 1974-79 where he ran track and played football. Anthony also became the 1st black Student Body President in VMI History. He graduated with a degree in Economics.

He served 10 years in the Army Reserves as a Company Commander.

He moved to Richmond post college we he met the love of his life Cassandra Brown. Ten months later the two were united in Holy Matrimony on July 21, 1984. They went on to raised five children.

Tony retired from MasterCard as a Network Operations Consultant.

Tony Was a deacon at Cross Keys Baptist Church and a faithful man of God.

He is preceded in death by his father Elder Alphonso Hamilton.

His legacy remains with his wife, Cassandra B. Hamilton; sons Troy (Tina), Martin, Stephen (Bryanna), Joel, and daughter Hope; Mother Catherine G. Hamilton; brothers Carlton and Maurice (Sandra); a devoted sister-in-law Joanne Hamilton, along with countless other friends, colleagues and family impacted by his life.

What kind of man was Tony?

First and foremost, He was a servant of the Lord. He was a loving husband, and father. He was a loving and devoted deacon. He was proud of his military service. But more importantly His was proud of his family. Tony and I had many discussions about our children, and he always were thankful to God and proud of who they became.

He loved the church and all within it.

I believe that the Bible best describes Tony is found in the words of the Apostle Paul in 2nd Timothy 4:6-7 where Paul states:

“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

There is no doubt that Tony finished strong.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”

What comfort we have today in knowing that Tony is one of God’s saints.

Tony and I had many conversations about His family and this church. Tony wanted so much to see this church grow, but he also knew he had obligations in Virginia. We talked about the plans they had to move back there because of their family.

But can I tell you today that our plans are often not God’s plan.

Proverbs 19:21 tells us; “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

It was God’s perfect will that Brother Tony would not make that move to Virginia, but to take up His residence in heaven.

There is no amount of words I can say today that will erase the pain of losing Tony. A loss is the disappearance of something cherished! Bereavement is the state of being deprived of something! Grief is the normal response to a loss!

And then of course mourning – refers to the outward expression of grief!

Now, all of these emotions are normal responses – when it comes to losing a loved one! However, where there is a void – and while we may be hurting on the inside (we can take comfort in the promise of our savior…) when he said, “I will never leave you nor will I forsake you!”

Now more than ever before – is the time that we need to lean on Jesus.

God’s Holy Scripture offers to us encouraging words in the book of revelation chapter 21 verses 3-4 “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

There are a lot of things that can be hard today. The hardest part of a day like today is that death means separation. And today Tony’s family and friends are separated from him. Did I say that He loved his family? He loved his life and serving the Lord, but death means that a separation from those days, those great times are at hand.

We will miss him, we will have memories, he will live in our hearts and from time to time it will be hard.

But we can take comfort because the Bible tells us that one day there will be there will be a place for all who believe that this type of separation does not exist.

Let me offer to you three comforting thoughts from Revelation 21

1. The Bible says first that there will be no more death.

The one thing that sets Christianity apart from all other world religions is that it is the only faith were the founder has conquered death. All the others have died and stayed dead. Jesus died and came back to life! If there is a part of you that looks at this death and says “it’s not right” you are correct it is not right.

Yet Jesus came to make it right and you can trust someone who has conquered death to make it right. That is why His Word says, “there will be no more death” One day there will be no more separation.

The scripture gives us a second comforting thought that One day there will be no more mourning.

There are a lot of things that we feel right now especially for those who have had the pleasure to know Tony.

Yet here is promise to all who call Jesus their Lord and that is when we arrive to our final destination and begin our life in eternity with God we will never have to feel these emotions again. Once we get to heaven, we will never have to lay another person to rest, we will never have these types of emotions, we will never ever mourn a loss of life again.

That is comforting to know.

3. Lastly, we are promised that there will be no more pain.

There is comfort in that because this life is full of pain and heart aches.

It was no secret that Tony struggled with his dialysis, yet even in his worst times his focus was on Jesus and serving the Church. That is a great lesson for all of us.

Most people struggle with the things that life throws at us, but what we have to look forward to is beyond measure.

I love the words that Jesus says in John 14

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4 You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus returned to His heavenly home so that He could prepare the place for us to rest in eternity and listen if you don’t know the way, you must place your trust and hope in Jesus as Tony did so long ago. Because Jesus sates that He “is the way, the truth and the life”

What we experience here in our small time on this earth does not compare with what we will have in heaven.

So how do we get through times like these?

The Bible tells us in 1st Thessalonians 4:18 “Encourage one another with these words”

What words? The words of God.

Deacon Anthony Hamilton will have no more pain, he will never mourn again, he will never have any tears for he is in the arms of his heavenly Father for eternity.

Well done good and faithful servant. Well done, Tony.

Song Gayle – Midnight Cry

Tony’s death serves as a reminder of our own _____so the question before us today is this:

If I died today; where would I spend eternity?

We know where Tony is.

HAVE YOU ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST – AS YOUR PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR?

If you have not done so, I know that Tony would want me to share with you these 16 words, which was spoken to me:

Life is short- Eternity is long- Sin is deadly – Hell is certain- Jesus can be yours.

The greatest honor you can give Tony today is to entrust your life to Jesus.

“For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13

What a life he lived, what a family He Loved, and What a God he served.

But what an eternity he has begun.

Today we are not saying good bye to you brother Tony but brother we will see you later.

Prayer-