Jacqueline Blair Hamad, 17, of West Hartford, Connecticut, died peacefully at home on Monday, April 3, 2023, surrounded by her family and her dog Kobie. She was born in Hartford, Connecticut.

From an early age, Jackie’s athletic skills were obvious, and she excelled at nearly any activity she tried. A three-sport varsity athlete and a senior at Hall High School, Jackie served as captain of the volleyball, indoor track and softball teams, and was selected as one of two Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Scholar-Athletes for 2023. In her free time, Jackie loved listening to music, playing the guitar, writing, painting, going to concerts, eating delicious food and being with her close friends. She was a fan of Phoebe Bridgers, SZA, Snail Mail, J. Cole, Denzel Curry, Saba and other artists. Jackie enjoyed spending time with animals at Westmoor Park, where she worked as a camp counselor, and advocating for human and animal rights.

Jackie is survived by her parents, Michael and Pamela Hamad, and her brother, Samuel Hamad, of West Hartford; grandmother Renee Hamad of Sarasota, Florida; grandmother Nancy Conley of Rochester, New York; aunt Karen Hamad, uncle Jon Yenari and cousins Lauren and Sage Yenari of Sarasota, Florida; and uncle John Conley of Rochester, New York.

Calling hours will be held on Friday, April 7th from 3:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Vincent Funeral Home, 880 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury. A celebration of her life will be at 3:00 PM on Saturday, April 8th at Asylum Hill Congregational Church, 814 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Private burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Hartford.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Catskill Animal Sanctuary, 316 Old Stage Rd, Saugerties, NY 12477. Please visit Jackie’s Book of Memories at www.vincentfuneralhome.com for online tributes.