David Hill

David Hill

Amherst, MA - David Hill passed away on October 6, 2023 in Greenfield, MA after a period of declining health. He and his identical twin brother, Sidney, were born on March 15, 1930, to Dora (Feder) and Benjamin Hillowitz. The twins were premature weighing 2.5 lbs. and 3 lbs respectively. The were taken to Coney Island where a Dr. Cooney had a long established pavilion on the boardwalk for premature babies using earlier forms of incubators to keep the infants warm. The public paid 25 cents to see the preemies.

His family, including his older brothers Arthur and Harold, lived in the Woodhaven section of Queens eventually moving to Middle Village. His father ran a candy store complete with soda fountain. David and Sidney graduated from Evander Childs High School. David attended the City College of New York and in 1951 was drafted into the Marine Corps.

David did his basic training on Parris Island and was in the field music division where he played bugle. He was discharged in 1953 and returned to Queens.

He met his wife Helen (Bilick) and they married in 1955. They eventually settled in Richmond Hill and later bought a house in Forest Hills where they lived for 46 years.

David was employed as purchasing agent and office manager. He was last employed by Standard Motor Products when he retired in 1994. After retiring, he worked in many volunteer positions including with Travelers' Aid at the international arrivals terminal at Kennedy Airport where he helped people arriving in New York City.

He loved living in New York City where he and Helen took advantage of the many cultural offerings such as the theater, New York Pops concerts, the ballet, and museums. He also enjoyed watching the Mets, Yankees, Giants and Jets. The couple traveled widely. He performed slight of hand magic at parties.

He was an active member of the North Shore Detachment of the Marine Corps League, in Queens and served as vice-Commandant of the organization. In 2020, David and his daughter participated in an Honor Flight to Washington, DC where he played taps at several of the war memorials.

He could often be seen at Veterans' and Memorial Day parades wearing his dress blue Marine Corps pants and a red satin Marine Corps League jacket. He was rarely seen without a hat proudly boasting his Marine Corps affiliation.

In 2016 David and Helen moved to Greenfield, MA to live closer to their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren. He enjoyed movies at the Senior Center and going to breakfast and lunch at the Moose lodge in Greenfield with friends. In 2022 David and Helen moved to The Arbors in Amherst and enjoyed the activities offered.

He leaves his wife of 68 years, Helen, of Amherst, MA; his daughter Deborah and son-in-law Duane Stevens, of Shelburne Falls, MA; his son, Steven of NY, NY; his grandchildren Carly and Jeremy Stevens of Shelburne Falls; many nieces, nephews, and cousins who have kept in touch and visited with him over the years.

There are no services. A family reunion will be scheduled for a later date. Donations in David's memory may be made to The Arc of Massachusetts, 217 South Street, Waltham, MA 02453; Shriners Hospital for Children, Attn: Office of Development, 2900 Rocky Point Drive, Tampa, FL 33607; or the Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation, Gift Processing Administrator, 18251 Quantico Gateway Drive, Triangle, VA 22172.