Robert L. Hill of Avon and a long time resident of West Hartford was born in Bellaire, Ohio in 1931. He attended West Liberty State College, where he was a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma Honor Society and the Ohio State University Law School where he received his Juris Doctor degree. He was Class President and Associate Editor of the Ohio State Law Journal.
After graduation, he entered the military Service, serving in the U.S. Army in Germany for two years. He returned from Germany on furlough to marry Barbara Voorhees and they spent the next year traveling Europe on a Private’s pay. The year also involved troop transports, alerts, field exercises and Bob representing many enlisted men in court martials. After his active duty, he remained in the Army Reserve as a JAG officer for an additional 29 years and retired at the rank of full Colonel. He acted for the Army JAG in several NATO Exercises and represented the Army. His final assignments were as commander of the 1075th Reserve Training unit and as a Mobilization Designee with the Army Chief of Legislative Liaison in the Pentagon . He represented the Army at Congressional hearings on Nisei reparations and the Freedom of Information Act. He was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College, the Army War College and the National Defense University National Security Management Course. His medals and awards included the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the Army Commendation Medal. He served for three years as Ambassador in Connecticut for the Chief Army Reserves with a protocol rank of Major General. Bob founded and moderated for many years a popular National Defense and Foreign Policy Forum. For the past few years, he worked with the World Affairs Center to expand and staff the Forum and it has become renown in the military and foreign policy area.
Bob’s legal career began with the Legal Department of the Nationwide Insurance Companies in Columbus, Ohio and concluded as counsel for Aetna Life & Casualty Company in Hartford, CT. He was admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States and to the bar in Connecticut, Missouri and Ohio. Although his legal background was corporate and securities law, his major impact on his profession was in the pro bono and mediation areas. He organized the Corporate Lawyers Legal Aid for the Elderly Program, which assisted several thousand elderly clients with their legal problems and which served as a model for pro bono programs across the country. In recognition of his work in this area he received the American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, the Connecticut Bar Association Charles W. Parker Award, and the American Corporate Counsel Award for Pro Bono Service. In the mediation area, Bob served as Executive Director of the International Association of Defense Council Pre-Suit Mediation Program and the National Law Firm Mediation Network, which encouraged a large number of law firms and insurance companies to adopt mediation as a settlement method, avoiding costly litigation. Bob served as chair of both the Alternate Dispute Resolution Committee and the Public Service Committee of the ABA Torts and Insurance Practice Section. He also initiated the Hartford Area Mediation Program which provided neighborhood dispute resolution services services to hundreds of families in the Hartford area.
Bob is a member of the Hartford Golf Club, the Old Guard (President), the , the Reserve Officers Association (State President), the Military Officers Association (President, Charter Oak Chapter), the Army Retiree Council, the Ancient Burying Ground (President), the AARP (Interim State President), Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, the Army War College Alumni Association, the Ohio State Alumni Association and the Bellaire High School Alumni Association (named Outstanding Alumnus). As a member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church, Bob served on a number of Committees , planned the Veteran’s Day service for many years and acted as Head Usher for some ten years. He was president of the Columbus and Hartford Chapters of the Federal Bar Association.
Bob participated for many years in tennis, squash, platform tennis, and basketball. The United States Squash Association ranked him third in the Nation in his age classification in 2012. He loved history and founded a Historical Book Club. He enjoyed traveling with Barbara to widespread destinations including Singapore, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Florence, Venice, Mexico, Barcelona, Bermuda, Jamaica, London, Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Monte Carlo and St. Petersburgh.
