Overview

• Hamilton died June 19 at her Chicago home at age 95 surrounded by her grandchildren, loved ones and caregivers
• She portrayed Donna Harris on NBC’s Sanford and Son from 1972 to 1977 and Verdie Foster on CBS’s The Waltons between 1973 and 1981
• Her career spanned film, television and stage beginning with a Broadway debut in 1959 and included Shakespeare productions with the New York Shakespeare Festival
• Hamilton received an NAACP Award in recognition of her contributions to breaking racial barriers in the entertainment industry
• She collaborated with her husband, playwright Frank Jenkins, on acclaimed theater productions until his death in 2014