Obituary of James Edward Hill

James Edward "Eddie" Hill, 67, of State College, passed away Thursday, January 5, 2017, at home. Born October 9, 1949, in Greensboro, NC he was the son of the late John Anthony and the late Helen Fuderer Hill, Sr. He is survived by three siblings, Doris Weeks and her husband, Paul, of Wrightsville Beach, NC, Christine Wiggins of Clearwater, FL, and David Hill and his wife, Lynne, of Providence Forge, VA, ten beloved nieces and nephews, and a large extended family. In addition to his parents, Eddie was preceded in death by two brothers, John and Thomas. Eddie was a graduate of Troy Senior High School, Troy, PA. He received both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English from Penn State University where he was a lecturer for 17 years. He cared for his students as expressed by this comment from one of his former students: "Prof Hill is not only a talented writer and teacher, but a caring man who goes beyond the job to help students who ask." He also had over thirty years' experience owning and operating businesses in the area. Additionally, Eddie was actively involved in newspaper, leasing, brewing and consulted for industries such as oil and gas, agriculture and finance. Throughout his career he shared his expertise with many, publishing over one hundred newspaper and magazine pieces. Eddie was the owner of Fairways & Greens Professional Golf Shop in State College and a former, co-owner of The Rathskeller, Spats and the Mount Nittany Inn, Center Hall. As an avid golfer he always looked forward to his annual golf outing in North Carolina with his long time Troy and State College friends and golf buddies. He loved sports, especially baseball. As a life-long fan of the Yankees, Eddie was affectionately remembered by his family for crying at a very young age at the first Yankees game he attended when his hero, Mickey Mantle struck out. For many years he was very active as a high school basketball referee. A celebration of Eddie's life will be held at a later date in State College. Eddie will be buried at a family site in Florida. Memorial contributions may be directed to The American Heart Association, 1019 Mumma Road Wormleysburg, PA 17043, or heart.org, in memory of James Edward Hill. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.