Seminole author of “Destined to be a Hamilton” dies | Obituaries

SEMINOLE – Mary Anne Hamilton, widow of Laurens M. Hamilton, the great-great-grandson of Alexander Hamilton, died Aug. 29 at age 90 in Brandon.

Her life was dedicated to preserving her late husband's legacy and uncovering the true story of Alexander Hamilton, one of America's Founding Fathers.

“Her goal was to get the message across,” said Greg Plantamura, a Seminole resident. “In the musical, the last line is, 'Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?' And how important it is to tell people's stories. … Mary Anne did that with Alexander Hamilton and I hope people will remember her, too.”

Plantamura told Tampa Bay Newspapers that he was blown away by Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical's unique storytelling when it first became popular.

“It was very inspiring to learn more about Alexander Hamilton and the things a person can accomplish in life,” Plantamura said. “He accomplished things that people didn't know about and that were downplayed for centuries. And he finally got the recognition he deserved.”

During his historical online research in 2016, Plantamura came across a Tampa Bay Times article about Mary Anne's visit to New York to see the musical.

“I found out that Mrs. Hamilton lived in Seminole, in my area, and that's when I decided to reach out,” he said. “She called me back and was happy to share her family history and stories with me.”

Plantamura discovered the Alexander Hamilton Awareness (AHA) Society in Clearwater and later introduced Mary Anne to Rand Scholet, the founder of the AHA Society, who later passed away in July 2021.

Together, the three toured historic sites in New York, New Jersey, South Carolina and even the Caribbean, giving lectures at local libraries and hosting events to raise awareness of Hamilton's often overlooked role in shaping the United States.

In February 2018, Plantamura helped organize the first HamilFest, a celebration of the life and accomplishments of Alexander Hamilton, held at the Gibbs campus of St. Petersburg College.

“It was really special to see Mary Anne honor her family's legacy,” Plantamura said. “She was a good member of the community. Her message was that life is worth living and it's good to learn about history because there are some inspiring stories out there.”

One of Mary Anne’s key collaborators in spreading this message was Helena Reynolds, co-author of “Destined to be a Hamilton.”

Reynolds, who became fascinated with Hamilton's story after listening to the musical's soundtrack, was leading a discussion group in Seattle, Washington. After meeting Scholet, she met Mary Anne through the AHA Society.

“When Mary Anne joined our discussion group on speakerphone, she just captivated us with her stories,” Reynolds said.

Reynolds told the Tampa Bay Newspapers that Mary Anne didn't fully understand the significance of her late husband's efforts before seeing “Hamilton.” When he died, the dream died with it because Mary Anne had no interest in it, as she had five children to raise at the time.

“At 82, Mary Anne had a whole new perspective on life after seeing the musical,” Reynolds said. “The knowledge was there all along, and she had no idea she had been connected to it for 50 years. She didn't realize the impact until she saw the musical.”

Encouraged by Scholet and Plantamura, Reynolds helped Mary Anne write her book during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the next two years, they worked together via Zoom and email, compiling notes, memories and historical facts into a manuscript. Destined to be a Hamilton was published in August 2023.

Reynolds described the experience as transformative. “For me, it wasn't just a project; it filled in the gaps in my own history knowledge and gave me a personal connection,” she said. “We both had a passion for history; my family was an immigrant family, she was related by marriage (to a historical figure), it just developed into a really great partnership.”

She added: “It took me all summer to come up with a draft. It was so much work, but it was a blessing for me because my mother died and I really didn't grieve, you know… I really appreciated her friendship.”

Through the book and her lectures, Mary Anne inspired many people to learn about Hamilton's history. Reynolds recalls positive feedback from readers, including one review on Amazon that praised the book for inspiring further research.

“That's what Mary Anne wanted,” Reynolds said. “She didn't want her stories to just stay out there. She wanted to use her stories to educate people. To dig deeper and learn more for themselves.”

A portion of the proceeds from book sales will be donated to the AHA Society to continue Mary Anne's mission to educate others about Alexander Hamilton's contributions to America's success.

“What she left behind is for the future,” Reynolds said.

As the community reflects on the life and contributions of Mary Anne Hamilton, her life's work will live on in the pages of her book, through the efforts of those she inspired, and the lasting impact of the story of Alexander Hamilton – a story she shared with people in the final years of her life.

For more information about Destined to be a Hamilton, visit www.amazon.com/Destined-Hamilton-Great-Great-Granddaughter-Law.

For more information about the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, visit www.theahasociety.org.