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2016 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 338
Celebrating the life of Jack Lewis Hiller.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 26, 2016
Agreed to by the Senate, March 3, 2016

 

WHEREAS, Jack Lewis Hiller of Springfield, a proud veteran of the United States military, retired teacher and freelance photographer, author of a history of Springfield who helped bring his community’s rich heritage to light as a longtime member of the Fairfax County History Commission, an active volunteer, and a devoted husband and father, died on February 3, 2016; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller was reared in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; he earned a bachelor’s degree from The College of William and Mary and master’s degrees from the University of Virginia and Carnegie Mellon University; and

WHEREAS, as a corporal in the United States Army, Jack Hiller proudly served his country and was stationed in Germany during the Korean conflict; after his active duty service was over, he continued as a member of the United States Army Reserves until 1961; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller taught history at Groveton High School and West Potomac High School in Fairfax County for 30 years, and he also was a history teacher at Northern Virginia Community College; during his years as a public school teacher, Jack Hiller helped integrate the Fairfax Education Association; and

WHEREAS, in 1973, Jack Hiller helped start a summer archaeology program for Fairfax County Public School students that became part of the school system’s summer offerings for 15 years; he continued to share his interest in Fairfax County’s past by speaking about the county’s archaeological heritage to schools and civic groups; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller made many contributions as the Springfield District representative to the Fairfax County History Commission, a position he held from 1981 until his death; he chaired the commission in 1994 and 1995, and as chair of the Historic Marker Committee, he helped write, review, and place some 53 historic markers throughout Fairfax County; and

WHEREAS, during Fairfax County’s commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, Jack Hiller supervised the installation of historic markers that described notable Civil War encounters that took place in the county; he was meticulous in his research and exceedingly careful to ensure that the information on the markers was accurate; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller, who was the Fairfax County History Commission’s photographer at the organization’s annual conferences, was honored by the Commission in 2006 with a Lifetime Achievement Award; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller also was a talented freelance photographer; one memorable and award-winning image—a pensive portrait of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., taken in 1960 in Richmond—hangs in the National Portrait Gallery; and

WHEREAS, Jack Hiller compiled an impressive portfolio that included photographs of presidents Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy, Jr.; his images of Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, are in museum collections in New York and Atlanta; and

WHEREAS, a historian and a scholar, Jack Hiller wrote a history of Springfield and penned many other articles about Springfield’s past; he also volunteered as a docent for 10 years at historic Gunston Hall, the home of George Mason; and

WHEREAS, a man of faith, Jack Hiller was predeceased by his son, John; he will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by Marion, his wife of 55 years; daughter, Elizabeth, and her family; and many other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Jack Lewis Hiller of Springfield, a distinguished scholar of the history of the Springfield area of Fairfax County, a retired history teacher, a highly regarded freelance photographer and author, and a devoted husband and father; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Jack Lewis Hiller as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.