Rosemary Lawrence Hamel

Rosemary Lawrence Hamel died Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021 at her home in North Little Rock. Born Aug. 8, 1938, in Conway, Rosemary was the daughter of Howard and Montine Lawrence of Greenbrier. She graduated from Greenbrier High School, where she was student body president and a star athlete on the girls' basketball team. Her squad won the State Championship and she was named to the All-State team in her senior year. Rosemary earned a bachelor's degree in speech and drama and a master's in special education at Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway. In 1960, she married Harold Hamel and they had two daughters, Monty and Jenifer. Working in special education, Rosemary directed programs in the Morrilton School District and at the Human Development Center in Conway. Later, she founded North Little Rock Handicapped Services, Inc., serving developmentally disabled adults. As Executive Director, Rosemary pioneered life-skills training and semi-independent living opportunities for clients who would otherwise be homebound or institutionalized. In the early 1990s, after serving as a volunteer among residents working to restore safety in downtown North Little Rock, Rosemary became the founding executive director of Argenta Community Development Corporation (CDC), where for 15 years she engaged public officials, business leaders, and countless volunteers to build a nationally acclaimed, award winning non-profit. Under Rosemary's leadership, with historic preservation as a guidepost, Argenta CDC restored or redeveloped more than 90 blighted properties, and created 143 units of safe, affordable housing in what was once considered the most hopeless area of town. Crime rates dropped to among the lowest in the city, and property values soared. Reaching well beyond Argenta, Rosemary helped shape local and state legislation and polices to promote affordable housing and the preservation of neighborhoods at risk. She conducted community development classes for the Clinton School of Public Service and UALR Institute of Government, and led conferences in historic preservation, community organizing, and more. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette showcased Rosemary's life and career in a full-page High Profile feature story on Aug. 7, 2005. Later, she traveled to Los Angeles, where she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from NeighborWorks America. A fitting summary of Rosemary's work was published in a tribute by The North Little Rock Times in July 2006, when Rosemary retired at the age of 68 from Argenta CDC: "Argenta's Leading Lady" "A job well done, the old saying goes, is its own reward. Well, in the case of Rosemary Hamel … her reward is spread out over blocks of the city's historic downtown. After 15 years at the helm of one of the city's most effective and respected nonprofit agencies, Hamel has turned over the reins. But that doesn't mean her impact won't continue to be felt. Rather, the results of her handiwork will spread like ripples across the coming decades, because under her leadership, Argenta CDC helped resurrect more than just a neighborhood -- it revived the idea of living, working and socializing downtown. And few residents realize that cities like Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Clarendon, and others, patterned their fix-up efforts after Argenta. This happened on Hamel's shift because of a vision she brought to the CDC in its infancy. It's a vision many have latched onto, to the tremendous benefit of North Little Rock. So here's wishing Hamel a happy and well-deserved retirement. Your legacy is secure and won't be forgotten." Rosemary is survived by her sister Carolyn Thornton of Conway; two daughters, Monty (Cary) Bradburn of North Little Rock, and Jenifer Hamel of North Little Rock; two grandchildren, Allison (Matthew) Klucher of Mandeville, La., and Robert Richard of Conway; four great grandchildren, Kaitlyn and Grayson Klucher, and Shepherd and Natalie Richard; and a nephew, Chad Thornton, of Greenbrier. She is survived also by dear friends, Helen Beam and Carolyn Edwards, and by Matthew Richard, who was like a son. On a sunny day later this year, the family will gather at Pearson Cemetery in Greenbrier, where Rosemary will join her parents, grandparents, and other loved ones in eternal rest. For an extended obituary and online guestbook, please visit www.smithfamilycares.com