Torrence "Tom" Hill

1929 - 2016

Torrence "Tom" Hill 1929—2016
Torrence T. "Tom" Hill, 87, passed away Thursday, November 24, 2016, in Agrace HospiceCare, Janesville, WI, after battling a long illness. Tom was born August 19, 1929, in Beloit, WI, the son of Thomas T. and Ruth (Ziegler) Hill. He attended Beloit Schools and graduated from Beloit High School in 1947. He met the love of his life while playing professional baseball for the famous House of Davis ball team. Tom then married Sheila A. Billington on April 25, 1950, in Kingsville, TX. He began his work career at Bowman Dairy in Madison, WI in 1950, while playing baseball for their team. They then moved back to his home town of Beloit, WI, where he worked for Besley Wells. In 1955, he started a new and daring venture with a start up company, called Beloit Tool Corporation, which later became Regal Beloit Corporation. Tom started as a machinist, then Supervisor, then on to Plant Superintendant. He didn't stop there, he was then promoted to Manager of Manufacturing, then Vice President of Manufacturing, and next was Executive Vice President of Operations. In May of 1974, he received his final promotion of his Regal Beloit journey, when he was named President. In 1979, Tom took a position with Cleveland Twist Drill, in Cleveland, Ohio, as Vice President of International Affairs. He worked for them until 1981. Tom was a cutting tool man through and through, and stayed in the industry as an advisor until his retirement in 2004. Tom was a lifelong Packers fan and loved the Milwaukee Braves until they moved to Atlanta. He was an avid hunter, fisherman and golfer. Tom and Sheila traveled extensively. They traveled Europe and most of the fifty states. He was a member of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Rockton, IL. Survivors include his three children, Terry Lange of Machesney Park, IL, Torrence G. Hill of Clinton, WI, and Gregory (Barb) Hill of Beloit, WI; six grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; one sister, Marjorie Golden of Rapid City, SD; and one brother, Donald Hill of Port Townsend, WA. He was predeceased by his parents and wife, Sheila.
Memorial service for Tom will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, December 1, 2016, in Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, 2336 Freeport Rd., Rockton, IL, with Pastor Cheryl Coffman officiating. Burial will be in Roscoe Cemetery, Roscoe, IL. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the Daley Murphy Wisch & Associates Funeral Home and Crematorium, 2355 Cranston Road, Beloit, WI. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.daleymurphywisch.com