Memorial information shared regarding tragic loss of recent graduate

UPDATE, Thursday, August 28:

We wish to provide this new information regarding the terrible news of yesterday (as noted below).

The memorial service for John Brewster Hill, class of 2014, will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 5, at Oglethorpe Memorial Park on St. Simons Island, Georgia. John’s parents, Charles Hill and Tracy Brown, and John’s beloved sister, Caroline Hill, request that in lieu of flowers donations be made to The John Brewster Hill Wrestling Fund. Gifts in remembrance of John may be sent to the attention of the Advancement Office of The Hill School at 717 E. High St., Pottstown, PA. 19464 or submitted through The Hill website.

John’s family members are so grateful for the thoughts and support being provided by their son’s extended Hill family.

Cameron Isen '14 has shared the following heartfelt tribute to his Hill roommate and dear friend:

"Very few people can fulfill a lifetime’s mission in 18  short years, yet John Brewster Hill did just that. By no coincidence, John was always surrounded by people who loved and cherished him. He was always willing to grow intellectually, emotionally, and – most apparently - physically. Still, he will be remembered for how he helped us to find the same simplistic joy in life that he carried daily. The charm and enthusiasm that John exhibited will survive through those who love him dearly, and it is our duty to maintain his grand legacy. John was headstrong, driven, and always lived in the moment; he taught me how to enjoy life. His impact on others was always immediate and lasting. 'JC' was a gifted scholar, an exceptional athlete, an extraordinary friend, and he will forever be an irreplaceable brother to us at The Family Boarding School."  

Early Wednesday, Aug. 27,  Headmaster Zachary Lehman received the heart-wrenching news of the death of John Brewster Hill, Class of 2014, a three-year member of The Hill School community. Below is the message he shared on Wednesday with the School’s students, faculty, and staff, as well as John’s Hill classmates:

Dear Hill Community,

It is with immeasurable sadness that I write to share word of the tragic death of John Hill ’14 of St. Simons Island, Georgia, late Monday night in a small aircraft crash near Willoughby Hills, Ohio, in which several people were killed. I learned this devastating news from John’s mother, Tracy Brown, early this morning. Few details are known at this time.

As many of you know, John was an outstanding wrestler and football player, a prefect, and a respected and beloved student. He was beginning his freshman year at Case Western Reserve University.

We will share additional information about services as news becomes available.

Please know that the School’s counselors, Ms. Smith and Mr. Jones; Father Houghton; and Ms. Confer Martens are available to anyone who may wish to talk. The Alumni Chapel will be open today for prayers and reflection.

We know you will keep John; his mother; his father, Charles; his sister, Caroline Hill, and all his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers as our school community comes together to address this devastating loss.

With deep sadness and warmest regards for all of you,
Headmaster Lehman

Please check our website and Facebook page periodically for appropriate updates. We know our extended community shares this loss and that John’s family greatly appreciates the concern expressed for their beloved son by Hill family members.

Friends who wish to send condolences may write to his father, Charles Hill, at 702 East Island Square Drive, St. Simons Island, GA 31522, and to his mother, Tracy Brown, at 179 Raymonds Grant Trace, St. Simons Island, GA 31522.