Joanna B. Hills

1932 - 2017

Joanna Betsey Hills passed away unexpectedly on October 4, 2017, at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Born October 6, 1932, in Newton, Mass., to Alvan H. and Florence Denison Bullard, she was raised in Needham with her brothers, Alvan and Bob, and her sister, Ann. Theirs was an active family that enjoyed camping in N.H. and Maine, and spending holidays and wonderful times year-round at the Bullard Farm in Holliston, Mass. Joanna graduated from Needham High School in 1950, and from Western College in Oxford, Ohio, in 1954 with a degree in Psychology. After college she worked at MIT's Instrumentation Lab, and in 1956 met and married Frederic Hills. During their 14 year marriage, the couple lived in Norwell, Mass., where they raised their three children. Teaching was Joanna's true calling, whether teaching kids to swim in Needham, Norwell, and Hanover, Mass., or teaching fourth graders about the natural world with the Mass. Audubon Society, or third grade students in the Braintree Public School system, or as a unit director at Wyonegonic Camps in Denmark, Maine. She was everything a teacher should be: patient, inspiring, committed, and kind. Later, Joanna was a valued team member at various corporations, including Apollo Computer Company, Stardent Computer, Inc., and MITs Media Lab. Joanna passed along to her children and grandchildren her love of life, her curiosity in people, her compassion for all living things, and her adventurous spirit. She will be forever cherished by her family, son, Scott and daughter-in-law Leslie Hills (Taylor and Lindsay); daughter, Jennifer and son-in-law Peter MacDonald (Aidan and Duncan); and son, Tad Hills and daughter-in-law Lee Wade (Elinor and Charlie); sister, Ann Tomlinson; and several nieces and nephews. Her family is deeply grateful for the amazing care and love given her during the past four and a half years at Kindred Care at Village Crossings in Cape Elizabeth. An informal celebration of her life will be held at the Bullard Memorial Farm, 7 Bullard Lane, Holliston, Mass., on Sunday, November 5, at 12 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bullard Memorial Farm Association or the Massachusetts Audubon Society.