by Mike McGorry
The squash community lost one of its brightest lights on Thursday, September 4th with the passing of Rob Hill. Rob died when a small plane he was operating crashed in Colorado. An avid pilot and professional flight instructor who had flown for thousands of hours since obtaining his pilot’s license while still in high school, Rob died doing something he loved.
Rob grew up in Denver and was one of the earliest great squash players to come out of the American West. At Princeton, he played on two teams that won the national intercollegiate team title, was an All American and captained the team his senior year. He graduated from Princeton in 1984, the same year that he and his Princeton teammate Andy McDonald became the youngest team ever to win the U.S. National Doubles. He was a top player on the men’s pro hardball tour in the 1980s and won numerous events around the world including the U.S. national 50+ doubles in 2014 (with Bill Ullman). During the dozen years he and his family lived in Madrid, he captured many Spanish national tennis championships in singles and doubles with his wife Julie. A true competitor and gentleman both on and off the court, Rob was always there with a smile and an interest in the lives of those around him.
Rob is survived by his wife Julie, their four children Robby, Drew, Nicole and Eliza as well as his mother Claudia.
