CHICAGO — Jennifer White Hamilton was remembered Wednesday as an advocate for patients and a union steward for SEIU Local 73.
She worked as a mental health specialist for the Cook County Department of Corrections — and that’s where friends and colleagues vowed to keep her legacy alive.
Balloons and butterflies were released outside the Cook County Jail.
The 47-year-old was killed in the parking lot of Target at Brickyard Mall. Alphonso Hamilton, Jennifer’s estranged husband, Alphonso Hamilton, has been charged with first-degree murder after authorities say he shot and killed her.
According to court documents, Jennifer was granted an emergency restraining order against him on April 18.
Friends and family members who gathered to remember Jennifer said her memory will not fade.
“A monster stole her life from me, and took her life away from her, and despite the horror the disgust and resentment that I feel, Jennifer’s spirit overcomes me to live her legacy,” a co-worker said.
White Hamilton was also a union steward for SEIU Local 73 and colleagues described her as hard-working, even in the toughest of circumstances.
“The type of individuals that she rolled up her sleeves and worked with were harder to work with for me, I know at times I go through the motions, but let me tell you,” a co-worker said. “My office is across from where she worked day in and day out and she worked with her whole heart, she really cared.”
Prosecutors say Alphonso Hamilton has a previous felony and misdemeanors. He has been held without bail.