Donald MacKay Hill III

July 12, 1936 - May 7, 2023

Donald MacKay Hill III, who devoted his life to advancing and innovating public education, supporting his beloved family, and learning about the world, passed away at the age of 86 on May 7, 2023 at his home in Cloverdale, California.

Don grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, where according to his high school yearbook his fondest memories were “Dates with AD” (his future wife, Ann Dedrick). Don graduated from Wesleyan University, attended Harvard Law School, and received his Masters from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

He launched his career in education as Chair of the Aragon High School Social Studies Department in San Mateo, California. In 1988, he left Aragon to lead the Professional Development Center at the Stanford School of Education. At Stanford, he became a pioneer in the field of service learning. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Alec Dickson Servant Leader Award by the National Youth Leadership Council. For more than 30 years, Don led the Stanford Summer Economics Institute to strengthen the teaching of economics in secondary education, and continued to advise the program until his final days. Don’s board service included the San Mateo City School District, Pacific School of Religion, International Center for Service Learning, and San Mateo City Library.

Don was a talented athlete, with a particular skill for tennis, part of a long family tradition. He also excelled at squash, played basketball and ran track, and loved to tell the story about how he coached golf at a summer camp without ever having picked up a club. He nurtured the athletic endeavors of his children and grandchildren, spending hours cheering them on in soccer, tennis, swimming, field hockey, and water polo.

Don’s travels began the summer his parents sent him to France on a freight steamer at the tender age of 15, and continued when he took a sabbatical from teaching and drove his family through Europe for a year in a Volkswagen camper. His adventures included family birthday celebrations in Puerto Vallarta and the Italian Riviera; student trips to Washington, DC and Japan; salsa lessons in Cuba; and this past January, a luau in Kauai.

Don is survived by his wife of nearly 64 years, Ann Dedrick Hill; his children Donald M Hill IV (Carolyn Ross); Tod Hill (Peter McAweeney); and Martha Hill-Enright (Jeffrey Enright); and grandchildren Nancy Hill, Harrison Enright, and Jackson Enright.

A private memorial will be held in Cloverdale on June 18th. Memorial contributions can be sent to the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Sonoma County (healthcarefoundation.net), an organization he actively supported; and the Campaign for Our Shared Future (campaignsharedfuture.org), an emerging organization that reflects Don’s commitment to public education.