William Roderick Hill

William Roderick Hill Sr. (Rhode) went to be with the Lord on Sunday Nov. 22 following a valiant battle with multiple organ failure. He was 74. A fifth generation Atlantan, Rhode was born on May 20, 1946, the 4th of 5 boys to Emily and Harvey Hill. He attended Christ the King School, Marist School, and the University of Georgia, from which he graduated in 1969 after a six month stint in active duty for the U.S. Army. While at Marist, Rhode enjoyed great success in football and golf, earning four varsity letters in each sport. He won the Atlanta City Junior Golf Championship at age 15, having spent much of his youth honing his game at historic East Lake Golf Club. He finished his high school career with 2 individual state championships and one team state championship. His gridiron exploits earned him post season accolades of All State Honorable Mention his junior year and All Greater Atlanta his senior year as a halfback, defensive back, and punter. He holds the distinction of kicking what was most probably the last "drop kick" extra point in Georgia's Sanford Stadium to beat perennial power Athens High (now Clarke Central) 7-6. This feat was completed without practice and without knowledge that he'd be called upon to win the game. Such was the case of a gifted athlete, who, despite a lifetime of shunning the spotlight, always seemed to shine when all eyes were upon him and the stakes were high. These merits and others eventually landed Rhode in Marist's Blue and Gold Circle.

Rhode matriculated at the University of Georgia in 1964, thoroughly enjoying his time in Athens, joining the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, forging lifelong friendships from all over the state, earning four more varsity letters in golf, and earning a BA in English. He would often refer to these years as some of the best of his life and the Classic City would forever hold a place of fondness in his heart. Following his time at Georgia (no one said "UGA" in his era), Rhode moved back to Atlanta to begin a career in banking and municipal bonds. During this time, he met and courted Hayden Legg of Henderson, NC., who had moved to Atlanta to begin her own career in advertising and PR. They would marry in September 1976 and have two sons, William Roderick Hill Jr. (Rhode), and John Stockton Hill (Jack). Rhode was also still playing competitive golf at a high level, winning several prestigious amateur tournaments in Georgia, including the Peach Blossom in '70, '77, and '89, and the State Four Ball in '77, '80, and '81. He had a fine collection of friends and enjoyed recounting the humorous stories and memories he made with them throughout the years. He was also an active member of East Lake Golf Club, the Piedmont Driving Club, the Nine O’Clocks, and the Roundtable.

In the mid 80s, Rhode helped organize a small syndicate of friends and associates to purchase Sweetapple Plastics, an up and coming PVC pipe manufacturing and distributing concern. Around this same period, it was revealed through a series of tests that he had signs of heart failure. By late 1993, the situation was dire and Rhode was admitted to Emory Hospital in urgent need of a heart transplant. While awaiting the new heart, both of his kidneys also failed. It was quickly determined that his younger brother Frank was willing and able, healthwise, to donate a kidney, forever elevating him to hero status in the Hill family and beyond. When the call came in late on February 19, 1994 that a heart was available, all the necessary participants sprang to action and Rhode received both organs on the morning of February 20, the occasion of Rhode Jr's 16th birthday. Viewed by most, including even many of the doctors, as a living miracle, Rhode left Emory Hospital after 70 days to begin a new and improved life. They said if everything went smoothly, he might have 10 more years, 15 at the outside. He lived 3 months shy of 27 more years.

In that time, Rhode began to more fully embrace his Christian faith, attending weekly mass at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, he saw his sons graduate from high school and from college (both from Georgia), and begin careers and lives of their own. He began his own new career in senior health care real estate. He continued playing golf, more for recreation than competition, though he still won a local tournament after his 70th birthday. After years of not touching a guitar, he could pick one up and break into Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" or "Travelin' Man" and pull it off perfectly. However, his greatest joy in later years was being a proud father and grandfather.

Rhode was predeceased by his brother Charley, his parents Emily and Harvey, and his niece Emily Hill Ferguson, daughter of Charley. He is survived by his devoted wife of 44 years, Hayden, his son Rhode (Brittany) and their children Lauren Payne, William Roderick III (Rocket), Elizabeth Dougherty, Mary Shannon Hayden; son Jack (Mims), their children Emily Evelyn, and Marion Hayden; brothers Harvey (Sarah), Alex (Terrell), and Frank (Mary Ella); many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A small, private graveside service will be held next week. A celebration of life gathering will be held in the spring. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Marist School of Atlanta.