Robert "Bob" L. Hill

Robert L. “Bob” Hill of Avon, and longtime resident of West Hartford, passed away on October 3, 2025. Bob was born in Bellaire, Ohio, in 1931. He graduated from West Liberty State College, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society, and went on to earn his Juris Doctor degree from The Ohio State University College of Law, serving as Class President.

After law school, Bob entered the U.S. Army and served two years in Germany. While on furlough, he returned home to marry Barbara Voorhees, and then continued his military service for another 29 years as a JAG officer in the Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of full Colonel.

Bob began his legal career with the Nationwide Insurance Companies in Columbus, Ohio, and concluded as counsel for Aetna Life & Casualty Company in Hartford, Connecticut. He was admitted to the bars of Connecticut, Missouri, and Ohio, as well as to the Supreme Court of the United States.

A man of wide interests and active involvement, Bob was a member and leader of many organizations, including the Hartford Golf Club; the Old Guard (President); the Reserve Officers Association (State President); the Military Officers Association, Charter Oak Chapter (President); the Ancient Burying Ground (President); and the AARP (Interim State President). He was also a graduate of the Army War College and a member of its alumni association.

Athletics were a lifelong passion. Bob played tennis, squash, paddle and basketball well into his later years. In 2012, the U.S. Squash Association ranked him third in the nation in his age group.

Bob is survived by Barbara, his wife and their three children — Robert Bradley Hill and his wife, Betty, of Chicago; Vanessa Thomas and her husband, Peter, of Asheville; and Tyler V. Hill and his wife, Sandy, of Boston; as well as 11 beloved grandchildren: Kirsten, Whitney, Daniel, Grace, Nate, Hayden, Ashley, Alex, Erika, Niklas, and Derek. Bob is pre-deceased by his brother, Gary; and survived by his nephews Bunker and Zack.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Hartford Golf Club, 134 Norwood Road, West Hartford on Saturday, November 29th, at noon. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bellaire High School “49er Fund,” Box 307, Bellaire, Ohio 43906. The D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, Wethersfield has been entrusted with the arrangements. To share a memory of Bob, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com