Dr. Benjamin A. Hill

Dr. Benjamin A. Hill, a humble and generous gentleman, died peacefully surrounded by his family on the afternoon of May 16, 2020. He was born in 1941 at home in Jackson County, Georgia. President of the Student Body Council, Ben graduated from Marietta High School in 1959 where he was elected by his Senior classmates as ‘Most Loyal,’ a trait he would carry throughout his life. He attended Emory University, Class of 1962, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. A patriot who was proud to serve God and Country, Lieutenant Commander Hill served in the United States Navy and Naval Reserve from 1965 to 1969.

Graduating in 1970 with a Master of Science degree in Dentistry from Emory University, Dr. Hill, along with a close friend, opened a private practice specializing in Prosthodontics where he was dedicated to his patients for more than 40 years, sometimes treating third generations. Ben was a respected member of the Georgia Dental Association, the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society, American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, the American College of Prosthodontics and the American Academy of Osseointegration. In 1985, he was honored by the Georgia Dental Association as an Honorable Fellow. He was s Special Lecturer in Graduate Prosthodontics at the Emory University School of Dentistry and a frequent Featured Clinician at State and National Dental Meetings.

Ben embraced a wide range of interests and hobbies. Among his many talents, he was a gourmet chef and delighted in entertaining family and friends with elaborate meals. He loved classical music, good books, and photography. He was an incredible gardener. His garden was close to his heart and he relished sharing it with others. He tended it himself, often experimenting with new plant varieties and occasionally with pass-along plants from patients. The garden was featured in Southern Living Magazine in 2004. In 2005, Ben served as chairman & organizer of The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program in Atlanta, part of a national program enabling visitors to tour a variety of private and public gardens throughout the spring and summer months.

As an early collector of photography, Ben assembled one of the finest collections in private hands of the work of Walker Evans, considered one of the most accomplished artists of the twentieth-century. The initial photograph in the collection was a gift from Evans himself, a personal friend. In 1998, Ben and Marian loaned their collection to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta for an exhibition entitled Walker Evans, Simple Secrets: Photographs from the Collection of Marian and Benjamin A. Hill, which then traveled to the International Center of Photography in Manhattan, the Whitney Museum of American Art at Champion, Stamford, Connecticut, and the Detroit Institute of Arts, before culminating the tour at the world-renowned Rencontres d’Arles, Arles, France. In 2016, more than 50 photographs from the the Hills’ collection were loaned for Walker Evans: Depth of Field, an exhibition organized by The High Museum of Art, the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany, and the Vancouver Art Galley.

Ben was a forty-year member of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, a former Trustee of The Children’s School, and a Senior Member of The Capital City Club. He was a longtime member of The High Museum of Art Board of Directors, rendering service on the Collections Committee. Extremely generous with his time and knowledge, Ben enjoyed welcoming groups from around the world in his home to share his love of photography. A fiercely loyal friend, devoted husband and father, there is absolutely nothing that Ben would not have done for his friends or family. Honor and integrity were of utmost importance to him, and he lived a life of generosity, faithfulness, and dependability. All who knew Ben will remember him as a cherished friend, loving family man and true gentleman. His greatest joy and source of great pride was his family, who knew him as ‘Base’, as no matter what the problem, he could solve it.

He is survived by his beloved wife Marian Weldon Hill to whom he was married for 54 years and his cherished daughter and son, Audrey E. Hill and Edward A. Hill, both of Atlanta. His two grandchildren, Morgan E. McMenamy and Murphy O. McMenamy, made his life complete. He was predeceased by his parents, Thomas M. Hill and Clara Jarrett Hill. He is also survived by his brother, John T. Hill, Bethany, CT and his niece, Leila R. Buckjune, Darien, CT.

A private family service was held at All Saints’ Episcopal Church on May 21, 2020. The family thanks the loving staff at The Mann House in Sandy Springs who provided Ben with the best possible care over the past year and a half. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 634 W Peachtree Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30308 www.allsaintsatlanta.org