Hilliard (“Hill”) Hagan Smith, III
September 21, 1947 – July 20, 2021
Jackson, Kentucky- passed away in the late afternoon of July 20th, at age of 73. Born on September 21, 1947, in Morehead, KY, Hill starred on the Jackson City basketball and debate teams before attending Centre College and Morehead State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees. He worked as a counselor before becoming an English professor at Lee’s College, where he entertained and stupefied students until his retirement in 2012. Locally famous for his antics at high school basketball games, those who knew him well also knew his immense intelligence and erudition, his sense of humor, and his uncompromising worldview. A great conversationalist, he would draw on a vast catalogue of interests: he was a skilled fisherman, a sports enthusiast, played guitar and loved rock and roll, and was always learning. Totally devoted to an anti-materialistic lifestyle, in his later years he chose to live in hilltop seclusion–doing the least amount of harm as possible, he said, and trying to minimize his pain. He is preceded in death by his parents, J.Phil and Barbara (Hogge) Smith, and his brother Lester. He is survived by his brother, Len, and by his niece and nephew, Barbara Allen and John Lester Smith, and their respective families. An event to remember Hill will be held at a later date. Those who wish to honor his life can make a donation to the Red Cross.
