Connie Hiller

Connie grew up in Turners Falls, MA, and lived there until she entered Skidmore College in NY. At Skidmore, she majored in Psychology and sang in the choir. She also dated Don Hiller, a UMass student who was in ROTC at the time and whom she had known since they attended nearby high schools. After their wedding in 1959, they began a life as a career Army couple, with a first assignment in Bad Nauheim, West Germany. In 1964, Connie and Don and their first 3 children (Tom, Bud, and Lin) moved to Ft Benning, GA, for a year before embarking on an epic 3 week drive across the country in a VW station wagon to Renton, WA, in 1965. During their 3 and a half years there, David was born, just a month before Don went to Vietnam for a year, leaving Connie alone with 4 kids under 9 - it was just part of Army life.

Ft Knox, KY, was the next stop for 18 months (1969-70), followed by 4 years (1970-74) at Ft Leavenworth, KS, where Connie and Don made more wonderful longtime friends. Connie volunteered at the post, starting a habit of community service that she continued throughout her life. After Kansas, they moved to Alexandria, VA, from 1974-76, where Don had another unaccompanied tour to Morocco for a year. Upon his return, the family moved to Fayetteville and Ft Bragg, NC, where Connie started working at the Cumberland County Library. While there, she decided to get her MLS, which involved a 3 hour drive to UNC-Greensboro twice a week.

Connie and Don moved to Cary, NC, in 1987, which started a wonderful 38 year connection with the neighborhood, the choir at Genesis UMC, Cary Concert Singers, book clubs, the symphony, and a position as Children’s Librarian at the Cary library. Weekly happy hours, holiday celebrations, and traditions like the October Pig Pickin’ (37 years and running) have made Javelin Court a hotspot for decades. During their time in Cary, Connie and Don also traveled with friends and family through a variety of countries, including all of Scandinavia, France, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Turkey, Greece, Austria, Croatia, Iceland, Slovenia, New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, Costa Rica, Panama and Canada.

Connie loved her friends in Cary and she and Don formed great relationships over the years with their neighbors and fellow choir members, keeping in touch with them (and their kids) even as they moved.

Connie is survived by her husband of 66 years, Don Hiller of Cary; Tom Hiller (Marie) of Apex, NC; Bud Hiller (Tammy) of Hillsborough, NC; Lin Gentry (Frank) of Boone and Burlington, NC; David Hiller (Christy) of Lexington, NC; and Connie’s brother Peter Koch (Debbie) of Waitsfield, VT, and Hilton Head, SC.

Connie’s favorite role was Mimi to her 7 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren! Welcoming them into the world, taking care of them when they were young, reading to them for as long as they would sit still, helping them make place holders for everyone at the beach, attending games and meets and performances, going to HS and college graduations, and then to weddings - those are the times that the kids will always cherish. Mimi is survived by: Lynda Hiller Smith, her husband Joshua Smith, and their children Genesis and Jeremiah; Joe Hiller and his wife Sara Kittleson; Cindy Hiller Jenkins and her husband Josh Jenkins; Sara Hiller, her husband Sasha Telyukov, and their son Leo; Michael Hiller; Jonah Hiller, and Jack Hiller. They will always remember Mimi for her warmth, humor, and graciousness in welcoming everyone into the family, and she was never happier than when some, or all, of the family could get together for any occasion (but especially at the beach for Thanksgiving)!

Connie was a wonderful vibrant woman who will be deeply missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her.

Family will receive friends on Friday evening, July 11th from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home in Cary. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 1:00 pm at Genesis United Methodist Church in Cary, with a light reception following at church.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Genesis United Methodist Church - PO Box 1123 - Cary, NC 27512 or Dorcas Ministries - 187 High House Road - Cary, NC 27511.

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