James Hill Jr.

Hill, Jr., James

James Hill, Jr., entered into eternal rest on Thursday, December 23 rd , 2021, in the comfort of his own home. He was born on August 20, 1941, in Baltimore, Maryland to the late James Hill, Sr. and Joyce Lee (Woodward) Hill. James was educated in Baltimore public schools and a graduate of Dunbar High School. He graduated from Central State University with a B.S. in accounting in 1964 and received his MBA in personnel administration and accounting in 1967 from the University of Chicago. James began his career as a cost accountant for Union Carbide in Niagara Falls, New York. After receiving his MBA., he began working for Alexander Grant & Company (Grant Thornton) and was the firm's first African-American auditor in 1967. Between 1968 and 1970, Hill worked as the deputy director of the Chicago Economic Development Corporation while owning several car wash businesses. After passing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam he founded his own accounting firm in 1972, Hill, Taylor, LLC, located in Chicago, IL, and then subsequently merged his firm and retired as a partner with Mitchell & Titus, LLP. Extremely active in the Chicago business and philanthropic community, he received numerous awards and honors for both his professional and community work. His professional affiliations included the Association of International Certified Accountant, the Illinois CPA Society, the National Black Association of Accountants, and the National Black MBA Association as a founding member. He was a board member of various community and nonprofit organizations, including the Illinois Institute of Technology, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, the Better Government Association, Citizen Information Service, the Chicago Commons Association, the Economic Club of Chicago, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and the Chicago Economic Advisory Committee. He also was a council member to the graduate business schools at both the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. James was preceded in death by his sister, Janet (Hill) Jenkins and his brother, Warner Hill. James leaves to cherish his memory his devoted sons, James Hill, III (Mary), and Dr. Brian Hill, Sr. of Homewood, IL, his former wife Sheree Franklin of Chicago, Illinois, his loving stepdaughter Brittany Hogan of St. Louis, Missouri, and the mother of his children Gloria Fields, Niagara Falls, NY. He also leaves to his legacy seven grandchildren, Chrisheena Hill, Albany, NY, James Hill IV, Homewood, IL, Brian Hill, Jr. (Margaret), Chicago, IL, Jacqueline Hill, Chicago, IL, Lauren Hill, Joliet, IL, Ashley Dieudonne McDaniels, Columbia, MD, Matthew Dieudonne, Jacksonville, NC, as well as three great-grandchildren, McKenzie Fizer, Christian Hill and Laurence Williams, as well as a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and close friends.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 22, 2022, 3:00 PM at Rainbow PUSH, 930 E. 50 th Street, Chicago, IL 60615. All guests MUST wear a mask while inside the building.

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