Hilary died June 16, 2017, at age 61. The love and gratitude she received in her final months testified to the values she modeled. But her family was her heart and soul.
Hilary graduated with high honors from Princeton and earned a Ph.D. from MIT. She was senior adviser to the Mellon Foundation, a University Professor at NYU, and deputy vice chancellor of NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). She was a founding leader of the team that built NYUAD. She was honored by the unanimous faculty vote establishing the Hilary Ballon Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at NYUAD and a Washington Square plaque commemorating her contributions at NYU.
She received the American Academy of Arts and Letters Award and spent 22 years at Columbia University — she won three awards for outstanding teaching and chaired the department of art history and archaeology.
She is survived by her husband, Orin Kramer; her children, Sophie and Charles; her brother, Howard; her sister, Carla Gorrell; sister-in-law Sari Kramer; and their children. Contributions can be made to the Hilary Ballon Scholarship Fund at New York University. Call 212-988-6960 for information.