Vernon "Bud" Hemingway Hampton

ALEDO -- Lt. Col. Vernon "Bud" Hemingway Hampton Jr., 72, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, June 24, 2013, after a yearlong battle with ampullary/pancreatic cancer. Funeral: 11 a.m. Friday at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 W. Pioneer Parkway, Arlington. Visitation: The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Irish Setters Club of America Foundation (www.ISCAFoundation.org - Designate Rescue Fund), Humane Society of North Texas (HSNTX.org), or woundedwarriorproject.org. Bud was born July 20, 1940, in Richmond, Va., to Blanche and Vernon H. Hampton Sr. He graduated from Hermitage High School in 1959. He attended Smithdeal-Massey College in Richmond, Va., in 1961 and later earned a business degree from Miami-Dade College in 1971. A resident of Aledo for the past four years, he resided in Arlington for 35 years prior. In 1962, he began working for the U.S. Treasury Department - Internal Revenue Service, which led to a prestigious 33-year career in the Criminal Investigation Division. His assignments included the Organized Crime Strike Force in Miami, Fla., and the Criminal Investigation Branch in North Texas where he served as chief before retiring in 1995. Bud also joined the U.S. Air Force in 1963 where he served a distinguished 31 years as an intelligence officer before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1994. Until his illness prohibited it, he loved getting together with his fellow retired Air Force Reserve Unit. A special thanks goes out to Col. Steve Kriss, his wife, Joanna, and those who attended, for organizing one final luncheon in his honor. He loved you all very much. Continuing his investigative fervor, Bud was a dedicated member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) of 20 years, where he served as president of the Fort Worth, Texas Chapter. From the sand lots to the lights of Hermitage High as a Panther, his lifelong passion was always baseball. He passed his love of the game to all three of his sons, coaching and teaching each of them over the years. He was also an amazing coach and fan of his youngest son Tim's game of youth soccer. Thank you for being such an amazing father in support of all your sons' endeavors. After retirement, Bud turned his penchant for coaching to his Irish Setters, earning honors in all categories, including confirmation shows, obedience and hunt testing. More importantly, he made yet even more lifelong friends along the way. On top of all his personal and professional accomplishments, most of all Bud was a loving husband, an amazing Dad and grandfather, and a stranger to no one. He will be missed more than words can describe. Survivors: His wife of 35 years, Sharon; sons, Alan and wife, Theresa, Greg and wife, Theresa, and Tim Hampton; grandchildren, Ryan, Grace, and Connor Hampton; sister, Carol Ann Martin; brother-in-law, Jim Duncan; sister-in-law, Mary Duncan; many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews; many dear friends; and his beloved Irish Setters, Colin and Gavin. Wade Family Funeral Home Arlington, 817-274-9233