Hugh Conway Hilliard

Hugh was born on June 17, 1935, in Richmond, Virginia, the eldest child of Hugh Conway Hilliard and Augusta Hoen Hilliard. He was valedictorian of the Heritage High School class of 1953, and in 1957, earned a degree in electrical engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, where he took great pride in being a ROTC cadet. The following year, while serving in the Army Reserve Signal Corps, he met his wife, Jean Judson Squire, at the Methodist church where Jean’s father was the minister.

After completing a master’s degree in applied physics from Harvard University, Hugh worked as a computer hardware designer for Litton Systems, RCA and IBM. Living in Massachusetts, Hugh and Jean had three children—Marjorie, Conway and Jeff. In 1972, he left industry to teach computer programming at Christopher Newport College in Newport News, Virginia. As a college professor, Hugh experienced the great vocational satisfaction of his life; he was clear, thorough and warm; he held high standards for himself and his students.

Following his retirement from teaching, Hugh and Jean moved back to Massachusetts, dividing their time between Boston and Cape Cod. In Boston, Hugh was a member of the Old South Church and a devoted volunteer at the New England Aquarium, where he fed the Rockhopper penguins for eight years.

On the Cape, Hugh was an avid gardener, beekeeper, stained glass artist, and genealogist. He was generous with his time and money in support of local cultural and social services organizations—supporting the Cape Museum of Fine Arts, serving as treasurer for the Yarmouth Council on Aging, funding the Yarmouth Food Pantry, and doing tax returns for members of the Yarmouth Senior Center. He found great pleasure in international travel, the Cape Cod Baseball League, good meals with family, the Sunday Times crossword puzzle, and since 1959, the annual, extended family gathering at Silver Bay YMCA on Lake George in New York.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Jean; their kind, devoted, and loving marriage lasted 65 years. His eldest child, Marjorie Hilliard Hodges, died of cancer in 1991—a loss that he named as the hardest experience of his life. He was also predeceased by his sister, Mary Hilliard Simpson. Hugh is survived by his sons, Conway Hilliard and Jeff Hilliard; his grandchildren, Megan Hodges, Zach Hodges, Alex Hilliard, Holly Hilliard and Phineas Hilliard; their partners and his nieces and nephews; and his cat, Petunia.

Memorial donations may be made to the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association.

Donations in Hugh's memory may be made to the Barnstable County Beekeepers Association (BCBA), P.O. Box 808, East Sandwich, MA 02537 - www.barnstablebeekeepers.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.doanebealamesdennis.com for the Hilliard family.