George "Coach" Ellis Hill

George Hill, 85, formerly of Portsmouth, Ohio passed away peacefully Saturday, November 7, 2015 in Charlotte, NC. "Coach" was born May 21, 1930 to the late Beatrice Lacewell and George Ellis Hill. In addtion to his parents he also was preceded in death by brothers Ralph Hill and Carl (Eddie) Hill. He graduated from Portsmouth (OH) High School in 1947 where he was a three sport athlete – football, basketball and baseball. Coach Hill attended Auburn University on a basketball scholarship playing for the Tigers from 1947-1951 and played for legendary coach Joel Eaves. He also excelled on the mound as a member of the Auburn baseball team. He earned seven varsity letters at Auburn. He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1951 and played one season of professional baseball before spending a two-year tour of duty in the U.S. Marine Corps. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Education from Auburn in 1951 and would later receive his Master’s in Education from Ohio University in 1977. Hill was a Head High School Basketball Coach at Murphy, Alabama High School, before going to Escambia High in Pensacola, FL. Coach Hill then returned to his native State of Ohio, where he served at Lancaster High and his final stop at Celina High. He accumulated an overall record of 317 – 107 (310 of those wins coming in Ohio). In 1980 he was elected into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Throughout his tenure of coaching high school basketball, Coach also served as an assistant football coach at Murphy and Escambia and as club swim coach for a combined eight seasons at Mobile Country Club, Pensacola Country Club, and Lancaster Country Club. He served one year at Ohio University (1969-70) and five seasons at Clemson University (1970-1975). The 1969-70 Ohio University team went 20-5 losing to Notre Dame in the NCAA’s and the 1974-75 Clemson team went 17-11 losing to Providence in the NIT. He began a second career of 25 years in 1980 in the home furnishings business and served as a manufacturer’s rep, regional VP Sales, National Sales Manager and Operations Manager for Mersman Furniture, Benchcraft Furniture, and Tolley’s Furniture. For the past 15 years, Coach Hill volunteered as a Sunday School Teacher at his church in Anderson, SC – Trinity Methodist and in Greensboro NC – Guilford College United Methodist. His love of coaching and teaching proved him well in this capacity as his lessons were always the most attended. Coach Hill also remained close to the Clemson Tigers serving as a long time IPTAY club member and a season ticket holder of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. He is survived by his wife of 64 years Barbara Joyce (Himes) Hill of Portsmouth, OH and now residing in Charlotte; daughter Barbara (Barbie) Stokes and husband Porter Stokes of Clinton, SC, daughter Cathy Hill and husband Glenn Myrick of Oak Ridge, NC, son Joe Hill and wife Denise Zoratti-Hill of Fort Mill, SC, and daughter Suzanne Pires and husband Curt Pires of Charlotte, NC; six grandchildren James Porter (JP) Stokes, III, Joshua Stokes, Madison Zoratti-Hill, Sam Franklin, Gabrielle Pires, and Gracyn Pires; four great-grandchildren; sister Betty Hill Shump and husband John Shump of Anderson, SC. The family would like to thank all the doctors, nurses and attendants at CMC- Pineville, Levine & Dickson Hospice House at Southminster, and Forest Hill Church for their warmth, care and blessings during the last weeks of Coach Hill’s life. Funeral Services will be handled by Pierce-Jefferson Services, Kernersville, NC and burial will take place 2:00PM Thursday November 12, 2015 at Memorial Burial Park in Wheelersburg, OH. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Levine & Dickson Hospice House at Southminster, 8919 Park Road, Charlotte, NC 28210, and to the Clemson IPTAY Club in his name. Friends and family may sign, and view the guestbook at www.Pierce-JeffersonFuneralService.com Service Information