Robert D. Hill

Robert D. Hill, 93, of Yonkers, N.Y. and Ipswich, Mass., died on Friday, December 10th at the Kaplan House in Danvers after a short period of declining health. He was the loving father of Susan Hill Dolan. Bob had recently moved from his lifelong home in Yonkers to The Residence at Riverbend in Ipswich to be near his family.

Robert (Bob) was born in Yonkers, N.Y. in 1928 to the late Olive Stewart Hill and George W. Hill. He had one brother, the late George Stewart Hill of Greenville, N.C. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Yonkers and joined the Navy as part of the Naval Air, serving in the Korean War. Well known for his mechanical talents, Bob did everything from rebuilding his first car at age 14 to building his own plane in his 20s, to being the go-to repairman amongst all his friends and neighbors.

In 1955, he began work as a customer engineer for IBM, working on the large mainframe computers for customers such as Esso, General Motors, and PepsiCo. A perfectionist with a brilliant mechanical mind, Bob’s meticulous work and patient professionalism made him a favorite among IBM’s top clients for some 35 years until he retired in 1990.

In 1956, Bob married the love of his life, Joan (Lichtenberg) Hill, in Yonkers and they continued to live in the home on Ramsey Avenue in which he grew up. There they raised their two children, Susan and Bobby. He remained a devoted husband to Joan until her death in 1995. In addition to his wonderful marriage, Bob’s keen sense of humor combined with his love of family and friends lent to his long and happy life.

Bob was a great outdoorsman who had a special love of the Adirondacks. He spent time there since he was a boy and, for the past 60+ years, co-owned “Camp BillyBob” with his best friend, William S. (Billy) Vance of Yonkers. There they enjoyed fishing, hunting, and paddling and would entertain visiting friends as well as the locals who came to love them. Good storytelling and perfect martinis could always be had at Camp BillyBob.

In addition to his daughter Susan, Bob is survived by his son, Robert Stewart Hill of Evansville, Indiana; his son-in-law, Gerald J. Dolan, Jr.; and his two grandchildren Ellie Dolan of Salem and Reed Dolan of Ipswich, as well as many nieces and nephews. He was very proud of Susan’s work at The Trustees of Reservations and Gerry’s work in the Ipswich Public School’s Department of Music.

Bob’s family would like to thank the staff at The Residence at Riverbend and Kaplan House for the kind care they showed him in his final days and weeks. They would also like to thank his home caregivers Leslie Tuckett and Alice Hill for their devoted care.

A funeral service and memorial celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, December 18th, at 11am at Bryn Mawr Park Presbyterian Church in Yonkers, N.Y. Funeral arrangements have been arranged through Morris Funeral Home in Ipswich and the Yannantuno Burr Davis Sharpe Funeral Home in Mt. Vernon, N.Y.  Memorial gifts in Robert D. Hill’s name can be made to:  Untermyer Gardens Conservancy, c/o Cathy Michelsen, 945 North Broadway, Yonkers, N.Y. 10701.   To send a letter of condolence to Bob’s family please go to:  MorrisFH.com .

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