Benjamin Patrick Hill

Benjamin Patrick Hill (Ben) was a remarkably intelligent and talented human being whose journey on this earth ended much too soon. His presence will be sorely missed by those closest to him, but the stories of his many exploits will be repeated for years to come.

Born February 18, 1974 to Christopher Hill and Claudia Wilson, Ben was the third of four children in the Hill household. Following in his father's footsteps, Ben was a precocious, hard-working, adventurous individual from the time he was just a toddler. He took naturally to the mechanical arts, and learned a great deal from his father about how machines work, accompanying his Dad to the machine shop from a very young age. Over the course of his youth, Ben developed an unparalleled work ethic that allowed him to excel at just about anything he chose to pursue. After graduating from Dorman High School in 1992, Ben attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, earning a bachelor's degree in Aeronautical Science.

Ben knew how to fly airplanes, and had dreamed of a career in aviation, but he came to realize that the pilot's lifestyle was not to his liking, and instead continued to pursue and apply his mechanical expertise. His ability to understand the inner workings of machinery, small and large, propelled him to a very successful career with Flo-Serv and HydroSouth, where he applied his hard work and expertise to the repair of hydraulic pumps used in the power generation industry. He earned the awe and respect of his coworkers with his skills, laboring long hours to solve challenging problems time and time again. Ben's innate ability to troubleshoot and repair machinery of all sorts extended to include automobiles, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, and almost any other imaginable equipment that might need repair. Ben shared his talents with countless others, becoming the family's ultimate handyman. He tirelessly donated his time and tools to help his friends and family whenever something was broken; whatever it was, everyone knew that they could count on Ben to make it work again.

Ben possessed an intense, unique sense of humor, and cackled with delight at anything that struck him as funny. At family gatherings, he was the life of the party; the loudest laugh in the room, the most enthusiastic competitor in family card games, the instigator of more pranks than you could count. Ben always loved music, settling on oldies, yacht rock, and classics as his favorites, with tunes always playing in his head, evidenced by his whistling and sudden outbursts of singing. He learned to play guitar as an adult, and found plenty of enjoyment in the process.

Ben married Christina Reynolds in March 2004, and they had two beautiful children, Maggie Elizabeth and Blake Allen. Ben was exceptionally proud of his responsibility as a provider, and instantly became a doting, protective father to his kids, sparing no expense to keep them comfortable and happy. His job required him to travel frequently, which occasionally made it difficult to spend as much time with them as he wanted. However, when the hard work was done, Ben and his family would play just as hard. Vacations were a time for adventure, and Ben loved to share those adventures with family, especially at the beach. With childlike enthusiasm, he set out to have the most fun of anyone around, on every occasion, free of the worries of the workplace.

Ben's faith in God blossomed along with his family, and he brought his children up in the church, faithfully attending Roebuck Baptist Church. Ben owned a strong moral compass, speaking out against those things which he saw as unjust, and wielded his voice to express his convictions when he found it necessary. Over the last few months of his life, he overcame his fear of praying in public, and learned how to speak to God while in the presence of others, which brought him a great deal of personal satisfaction and peace.

While Ben's departure from this life on June 4, 2025 was extraordinarily tragic, his enduring legacy is just the opposite. Ben leaves behind memories of the thousands of laughs we had together; the fearless adventures he sought to share with everyone around him; the willingness to drop everything and come help a friend in need; the rock-solid reliability and predictability that defined his character; the opinionated, outspoken, passionate voice of reason; and the spirit of curiosity and wonder that followed him all of his days.

Ben's funeral will be held at Roebuck Baptist Church on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at 10 am, followed by receiving of friends and family.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Roebuck Baptist Church.