Collin B. Hamer Jr.

Collin Bradfield Hamer, Jr., died on July 29th 2026, beloved husband of the late Jacqulin "Jackie" Theresa Grant, Brother of Sharon Elizabeth Hamer (Alfred David), William Gordon Hamer (Leslie Felger), Jean Ann Hamer, Carol Ann Hamer (Donald Carvajal), and Faye Lynn Hamer (Raymond Brown).

Collin was born at Hotel Dieu Hospital in New Orleans on September 3rd, 1939. He was the son of Collin Bradfield Hamer Sr. and Vivian Elizabeth Hanna Hamer. He is preceded in death by his beloved wife Jacqulin "Jackie" Theresa Grant, his parents, brother, William Gordon Hamer, and sister, Jean Ann Hamer.

Collin attended Saint Rita Parochial School on Pine Street and Fortier High School. He attended Tulane University and received his BA from L.S.U.N.O. in 1963, and his MS in Library Science from LSU in 1966. Collin was a member of the drill team in the Junior R.O.T.C. Department while at Fortier and the Air Force R.O.T.C. Saber Jets Drill Team while at Tulane. He also volunteered with Civil Defense's Ground Observer Corps.

Collin and his wife "Jackie" met while they were both members of the Moisant Squadron, Civil Air Patrol. "Jackie" was a senior member, but Collin had been a cadet member since high school and became a Senior member later. During his 8 years of membership, he attended 3-week-long encampments (2 at England Air Force Base and one at Lake Charles Air Force Base).

They enjoyed bike riding, camping, and traveling. The annual family trip to Decatur, Georgia and Asheville, North Carolina was fun for all. The camping trips were usually to Louisiana and Mississippi, but the one at Santa Rosa Island in Florida was one of the most memorable with the beautiful view of the stars at night and the challenge of keeping the raccoons from getting into the ice chests. Collin and "Jackie" loved the trips to Europe and the cruises to the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the Caribbean. They visited 32 countries.

He started work in the Catalog Department at the New Orleans Public Library in 1963, moved to the Business and Science Division in 1966, and retired in 2004 after a 41-year career, the last 36 of them as Head of the Louisiana Division and the City Archives Collection. He used volunteers extensively to index and type, and the Mormons to film and later scan the many genealogical records in the city archives. He also assisted in negotiating the contract with the Historic New Orleans Collection to create an online database of the library's 600,000 card Louisiana Biography and Obituary File. Collin was active in the Louisiana Historical Association, the Louisiana Library Association, the American Library Association, the Society of Southwest Archivist, the Friends of the Archives of Louisiana, the Greater New Orleans Archivist, the Jefferson Historical Commission, the New Bonnabel Civic Association, and the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans. He contributed a number of articles to the Louisiana Historical Association's State Historical Journal, Louisiana History, the New Orleans Genesis, the Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, the Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science, and the Guide to the History of Louisiana, by Light Cummins and Glen Jeansonne, published by Greenwood Press in 1982. He was the guest editor for the "Genealogy in Louisiana Libraries" issue of the L.L.A. bulletin in 1991.

Collin received the mid-career award from the Louisiana Library Association, Junior Members Round Table in 1980, for "Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Librarianship". He received the Lucy B. Foote award from the L.L.A. Subject Specialist Section in 1987.

Collin received the CHARLES E DUNBAR JR award from the Louisiana Civil Service League in 2000 "In Recognition of Unselfish Service to the Citizens of Louisiana through the Merit System of Public Employment." He loved to build model airplanes and hang out at airports, and he was a collector of seashells, feathers, model airplanes, old airplane parts, postcards, foreign currency, coins, postage stamps, and books. He loved nature, fishing, genealogical research, and helping others. His family and friends will deeply miss him.