Timothy Akil

Hamlett

Timothy Akil Hamlett ("Tim") was born on February 1, 1994 at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in New York City, NY. A resident of Teaneck, NJ, he began his life's journey with the love, support, and adoration of his parents: Archibald T.E. Hamlett, Jr. and Katherine Renee Frink-Hamlett. He was their little "pumpkin' and "squirrelly-man," a blessing of boundless love and joy. Tim excelled both academically and athletically from an early age. Seeing him on a basketball court making no-look passes and foul shots was a common sight. He was active in the Teaneck Youth Basketball League, including their All-Star team, as well as numerous AAU teams including the NY Gauchos. He competed at regional and national tournaments and was selected from thousands of applicants to be one of five members of the 2006 Jr. NBA National team which led him to the All-Star Game in Houston, TX meeting basketball greats like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal and competing against the Jr. NBA China team. In 2007 and 2008, he continued with the Jr. NBA league, competing locally against the Jr. NBA Japan team and winning the championship both years. He was a point guard for Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Tenafly, NJ and Don Bosco Preparatory High School in Ramsey, NJ where he played in two Bergen County Jamboree Championships (2010 and 2011). While some people thought Tim would go straight to the NBA', he switched gears in 2011 when he joined Don Bosco's Varsity Track & Field team. Needless to say, Tim was a star, garnering State Championships for both the outdoor 4x400m and indoor 400m and gaining All-American status for the 4x400m at the New Balance Nationals in Greensboro, NC. He was recruited aggressively for Division I Track & Field, with interested contenders including the University of Connecticut, Columbia University, Lafayette, Georgetown, Rutgers and the University of Pennsylvania. Tim ultimately decided to don the Quaker stripes and enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania in the summer of 2012. At UPENN, he competed as both a sprinter and mid-distance runner and participated in several meets, such as the Indoor HEPS at Harvard in 2013 and Dartmouth in 2014. Also, in 2013 and 2014, he competed at the New York Armory's prestigious Millrose Games in the hallowed 4x800m relay. In one of his final races, on February 1, 2014 on his 20th birthday, he won the 500m race during the Lions Invitational at the New York Armory. Though Teaneck was his home, Tim's footprint reached near and far. Many glorious summers were spent on Martha's Vineyard with family and friends, exploring lighthouses, relaxing on the beach, biking, and just living the good life! In 2007, he participated in the Junior National Leadership Conference, a one-week program at the University of Maryland and the following year traveled with the People to People Student Ambassador Program to London, Paris, Milan, Rome and Malta. He absolutely loved the gelatos in Italy, swimming in the Blue Lagoon and go-kart racing in Malta. For three summers, Tim participated in LEAD, a highly competitive program for high school students: Engineering, Global and Business, respectively. In 2010, he traveled with LEAD to Johannesburg, South Africa during the World Cup and the experience was truly transformative. He made life-long friends and was inspired by the African students he met, coming away with a profound outlook on life outside of America. In 2011, his LEAD experience at Northwestern University provided him with a "Taste of Chicago," the world's largest food fair and allowed him to make business presentations to corporate powerhouses like Google and draftfcb. Perhaps it was his varied experiences as a scholar, athlete, and traveler that led him to declare a philosophy major at UPENN. Tim's work experience includes a summer internship at KCH Holdings as a Compliance Intern where he was intrigued by the subtleties of trading and marketing making. He also proudly held his garbage pick-up stick as a Team Clean worker for Teaneck, NJ. Tim's irrepressible spirit touched countless people's hearts worldwide and served as an inspiration throughout all of his pursuits - at home, abroad, at school, and at play. We will all remember his infectious laughter, intelligence, dedication and athletic acumen. While he was an only child, he was like a brother to many, sharing his loving and thoughtful nature with teammates, classmates, and childhood friends alike. To paraphrase a friend, Ade Jackson, the beauty of humanity was contained in his spirit: one of unquestioning love, whether that was for life, people, school, track, or being himself'. Tim leaves to cherish his loving memories his parents: Archibald & Katherine Hamlett; his grandmother: Irene C. Hamlett of Aiken, SC; his aunts: Charlotte Frink-Paynes of Scottsdale, AZ and Veronica Hamlett of Palm Springs, CA; his uncles Aaron Frink, Jr. of New York, NY and John Paynes of Scottsdale, AZ; his first cousins: Nakia Benjamin, Michelle Paynes, and Paul and Aaron Frink; his "half-family": Christopher, Ayanni and Akinde Hanna (father, sister and brother, respectively) and a host of great aunts and uncles, second and third cousins, loving "aunties," teammates, friends and colleagues. Tim was predeceased by his maternal grandfather Aaron Frink, Sr. (who never met his grandson), Archibald E. Hamlett, his paternal grandfather; Ann Frink, his maternal grandmother; and his "half-mama," Cheri-Spence Hanna.