Timothy Baikie Hill
Timothy Baikie Hill – Head Prefect (1952), Master (1959–1985) and Deputy Headmaster (1985-1992) as well as the Honorary Secretary (1963–1970) and life vice-president of the Old Boys’ Association.
My sisters, Kerith Gibbs and Loren Frost and I together with our families and the wider Hill family – write to inform the Association, the Headmaster and the wider school family of the passing of our stepfather of 42 years and beloved “Puff” – Timothy Baikie Hill – mid-morning on Sunday 28 November 2021 after a decade of living with Alzheimer’s. Tim was born in Pretoria on Sunday 21 May 1933 the younger brother of twins – Ione and Peter.
Tim attended Pretoria Boys High School from 1948–1952, playing rugby, hockey and taking part in athletics (especially middle distance). He then studied Geography at the University of the Witwatersrand in order to teach it and during his studies was House Chairman of the Knockando Men’s Residence. Tim taught (1959–1985) and latterly was involved in assisting with administration (1985–1992) with contemporaries such as Charles Mulvenna, Louis Dentan and Elwyn van den Aardweg among others. Recently I was made aware that a pupil Tim taught in the Class of 1985 at School lectured him at his alma mater (Wits) during a Geography teaching refresher course that he attended. He was Mr Athletics and together with his elder brother, Peter developed the PBHS athletics track – now also housing the Astro – known as Hill Field.
Tim was a loyal and faithful husband for 37 years to our mother Romaine and treated the three of us as his own children. After retiring as a schoolmaster, he spent time as an office manager before they moved to Strand in 1998.
Tim loved dogs and enjoyed walking with Aphra, his German Shepherd, to and from the beach. He will be missed by those that he knew and especially his cousins, niece, nephews and ‘his’ children and ours, ‘his’ grandchildren – James, Beth, Hannah and Rebekah (Frost) together with Rachel and Tim (Gibbs).
“Our education has not just happened. We owe a debt of gratitude to many people, and I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincerest thanks. I hope that you are not the boy who, going to say goodbye to the headmaster, said: ‘I must thank you sir, all I know I owe to you’ – ‘Oh don’t mention such a trifle,’ – returned the head.”
(Tim Hill – as quoted from his valedictory speech – Pretorian 1952)
Charles Gibbs (1986)
