Norma Louise Hill

She leaves behind her younger brother, Lawrence (Larry) Smith, her son, Jonathan Hill and grandsons, Max and Porter Hill.

Born on October 27, 1930, Cambridge, Massachusetts to Sothern and Margeurite Smallwood, she grew up in nearby Somerville, Massachusetts. Her early life was struck by family tragedy as she lost her mother, father and sister (Gretchen Smallwood) to tuberculosis, while her younger brother was sent to recover in a sanitorium, before she turned ten. She and her older sister, Phyllis Smallwood, were sent to live with their grandparents, Richard and Marquinta Smith, until their passing when the family was broken up. Larry went to live with their uncle and aunt, Nat and Birdie Smith, while Phyllis and Norma went to live with another uncle and aunt, William and Flossie Good.

Norma attended Somerville High School where she played basketball and achieved academic excellence. She was given one of three slots reserved for African Americans in her class at Wheaton College in Norton Massachusetts. She joined the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority (AKA) and worked summers to put herself through college.

After graduation from Wheaton, she was selected to Macy’s prestigious executive training program and worked as a buyer in Manhattan until she married Lt. George Hill (deceased 2020) in 1954 and began to travel the world, living in Germany, Alaska, Taiwan, Texas, Oklahoma and Maryland. She was a devoted mother to her two sons Gregory Hill (deceased 2021) and Jonathan Hill.

While stationed in San Antonio, Texas from 1974-1976, Norma obtained a master’s degree in library science from Our Lady of the Lake College. Upon returning stateside from a post at Rammstein Air Force Base in Germany in 1979, Norma worked at The Library of Congress until accepting a position as Departmental Head of the Children’s Library Department of the Howard County Public Library System. She worked her way up to Assistant Director and then served as Director for the last five years of her career, retiring in 2001. She was only the second Director of the system in its 60-year history. As Assistant Director and Director, she oversaw the procurement, design and construction of three of the system’s seven major branches; East Columbia Branch, Savage Branch and Glenwood Branch and was instrumental in the integration of computer systems into library operations, receiving national recognition for her pioneering efforts.

Norma and George spent their retirement performing volunteer work and enjoying their grandchildren. Norma will be remembered for living a life of character and impact.

A visitation for Norma will be held Saturday, September 28, 2024 from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Witzke Funeral Homes Inc., 5555 Twin Knolls Road, Columbia, MD 21045, where a funeral service will begin at 11:00 AM. Interment will follow at Crest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 2150 Mt View Rd, Marriottsville, MD 21104 at 12:30PM.