Robert B. Hill

Robert Benjamin Hill died suddenly on Friday, August 2nd, 2013. He was born in New York City on July 23rd, 1930, his parents were the late Bertha (Veeder) Hill and Samuel E. Hill. His family later moved to Troy, NY, where he graduated from High School. Robert graduated from Tufts University in 1952 with a B.S. in Biology, and then went on to do his Ph.D. with Dr. Welch at Harvard University. He received his Ph.D. in 1957. Robert then taught at the University of Maine for several years before doing post-doctoral research with Dr. Graham Hoyle in Glasgow, Scotland. Robert then took a faculty position in the Department of Physiology at Dartmouth Medical School. In the late 1960s, he moved to the University of Rhode Island where he was a Professor of Zoology until his retirement in 2001. His main research interests were in comparative studies of smooth and cardiac muscle tissue. Robert conducted research on a variety of marine animals including squid, octopus, sea cucumber, whelk, clam, and the sea hare Aplysia. He often collaborated with colleagues in Japan and England, and spent many summers conducting research at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA. Robert authored numerous scientific articles and attended many international conferences. Even after retirement he remained active in research, participating in bioengineering lab classes at the University of Rhode Island and attending scientific meetings. In 2012, Robert and colleagues received an Intellectual Property Patent Excellence Award from the University of Rhode Island. Robert was an avid reader, often reading several books at once, and he enjoyed listening to many types of music. He is survived by his wife Isako, his sister Marjorie, his two sons Andrew and Evan, and by five grandchildren. A memorial service was held on August 8th at Church of the Messiah in Woods Hole.