Remembering Ali Hamilton

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My last year of teaching full time I had a U. S. History class that made me wish I was in it, not teaching it. As a teacher I had to maintain way too much decorum when the amazing cast of characters made me want to laugh out loud five times a day. Not a rocket scientist in the bunch, just memorable characters and decent people every one. It ranks near the top of my favorite classes in forty years of teaching.

Allie Hamilton was in that class. Front row, first seat. After her tragic death the other day, many people have noted her constant smile and daft sense of humor. I saw that for 180 classes along with the down moments that are part of being a 16 year old girl. Nothing kept that smile away for long, however. The papers have also noted that Ali was a great friend who always seemed to go out of her way to help her pals. In my class that meant getting herself and her friends into and out of the usual classroom mischief-the humorous gleam in her eye always gave away the fact that something was “up.”

What I remember most about Allie are baseball and the Junior Prom. Allie loved the

Red Sox more than anyone. But it wasn’t blind love, she knew stats and had strong opinions on who should be benched. She knew more about the Sox then the sports obsessed boys in the class and me too! I really loved talking Red Sox with her. 

Since time immemorial Freshmen girls have dressed to impress, but by the time they become Juniors only a major occasion like a sports team dress code will get them out of jeans and an old t-shirt. The girls in Allie’s class were no exception, Allie among them. When the Junior-Senior Prom rolled around in 2008, I was there to chaperone and take pictures for the class. Here’s my picture of the newly elegant Allie all dressed up at the Prom:

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Note the high heels in hand (elegance only lasts so long at 16) and the famous Allie smile.

Despite keeping in touch over the past few years while she worked at Stone Forge and planned her future, that is the way I’ll always remember Allie. Your friends will miss you!