The online message sharing the passing of Hamilton Boone, an Indian Harbour Beach city council member, is heartfelt, ending with the words “Thank you, Ham, for your life of service and impact upon the city you loved.”
Boone, an Eau Gallie native, died Thursday at age 77. A physician assistant and small business owner, he was elected to Indian Harbour Beach’s city council in November 2023.
Mayor Scott Nickle said the news of Boone’s death was “a total shock and very surprising to us.”
“We knew that he was having some health issues, but we thought he was on the mend, and he was going to be rejoining us on city council very soon,” Nickle said. “When I received the news, I was very, very shocked.”
Nickle referenced Boone’s extensive history, both personal and professional, of service to others. The tribute to him on the city’s website put it this way: “A husband, father, veteran, medical professional, advocate for the disabled, and University of Alabama super fan, he will be missed by all who knew him.”
“He’s going to be missed by many, many people … he was a fixture in the Indian River beach community,” Nickle said. “And as it relates to city council, we are very thankful for his service to our community.”
Marine and advocate for disabled veterans
Boone’s bio on the Indian Harbour Beach website shares that Boone entered the Marines after graduating from high school in 1967.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Georgia State University, followed by a post-graduate degree as a physician assistant from the Medical College of Georgia. He practiced at medical centers across the country and in 1989, “developed and instituted a new PA practice model in Atlanta providing surgical PAs to hospitals and surgeons and then bringing that concept home in 1998.”
Boone also, his bio stated, “found time to serve our local community through volunteering and community engagement. Most recently, Ham was recognized by Central Florida’s VA Regional Medical Center for his contributions to disabled veterans through the coaching and teaching of Adaptive Training.”
Britt Kennerly is education/breaking news editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Kennerly at 321-917-4744 or bkennerly@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @bybrittkennerly Facebook: /bybrittkennerly.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: ‘A fixture’: Indian Harbour Beach council member ‘Ham’ Boone dies at 77