Robert E. Hill ’59

Bob came to Princeton from the Taft School, where he was active on the football and baseball teams and in student government, dramatics, and singing. At Princeton, he served on the Freshman Council staff, the Campus Fund Drive, and Orange Key. Majoring in history, he ate at Cannon Club, played IAA football, hockey, and softball, and senior year he roomed with Henderson, Helfenstein, H. Hudson, Warwick, and Waters.

After he married Marcia Ann Hoag in 1960, the Hills moved to California, where Bob obtained an M.A. in government and economics from Claremont Graduate University. They soon returned East, where Bob worked as VP of procurement for Jay-Vee Brands in Wake Forest and then, in 1982, as VP of procurement for Shadowline, a clothing manufacturer in Morganton, N.C., until retirement. He helped each community in which he lived, co-founding a soccer league and serving on a planning commission an arts council, and with two Catholic churches.

Bob’s talents as a storyteller and fiddler flourished in Morganton. He published and was honored with awards from the Charlotte Writers Club. He played old-time music with various bands in Boone, Morganton, and Asheville, notably with the Haw Creek String Band. When not writing or playing, he enjoyed hiking and biking through the mountains.

Bob died May 10, 2024, at home in Morganton. He is survived by his wife, Marcia; a daughter; a son; and four grandchildren.