James B. Hills

March 7, 1944 - December 26, 2017

James Bertram Hills, 73, of Largo, Florida passed away on Tuesday, December 26 in Largo Hospital after a brief illness. He leaves his wife of 14 years, Barbara (Wallace) Hills of Largo; three children: Faith Mayer and her husband John Anthony of Rutland, MA, Jason Hills and his wife Jennifer of Warwick, Rhode Island, Amanda Carbonneau and her husband Jeffrey of Rutland, MA; five stepchildren: Mike Brinkmann of St. Petersburg, Florida, Alison Brinkmann of Treasure Island, Florida, Anne Speedie and her husband Chris of Baltimore, MD, David Brinkmann and his wife Nicole of Holliston, MA and Ace Brinkmann and his wife Jeannine of West Chester, PA. Also missing him will be nine granchildren: Adam, Erik, Ian and Abigail Mayer of Rutland, MA, Alexas Hills of Warwick, RI, Camden and Leila Carbonneau of Rutland, MA Lilly Brinkmann of Holliston, MA and Charlotte Brinkmann of West Chester, PA. He was predeceased by his wife of 37 years, Louise Hills of Holden, MA. He also leaves two sisters; Jane Morton and Nancy Lafleur both of Glastonbury, CT as well as several nieces and nephews. Jim was a graduate of Weathersfield High School class of 1962 and Worcester Polytechnic Institute class of 1969. He was the Vice President of Pharmaceuticals for Lakso in Leominster, MA for most of his career and spend his last working years as a plant engineer for Sanofi-Aventis in Pennsylvania. He was active at the Chaffin's Congregational Church in Holden, MA for a number of years serving as both a deacon and treasurer in his time there. He was also a member of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering for over 30 years and served a term as President of the organization. Jim enjoyed golf and was a whiz at card games spending many a night playing bridge with his friends. He also taught all of his children how to play Pinochle and spent many a holiday regaling us all with tales of card games of old. Jim was also an avid gardener and liked to think of himself as a amateur weather man regularly updating anyone that would listen on the weather outside of his window or as reported by the weather channel. It was a great joke to him to call his Northern relatives in the middle of a blizzard and tell us that he missed the weather, but was enjoying the 80 degree sunshine. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 6 at 11 AM at the Rose Hill Funeral Home in Rocky Hill, CT with burial immediately following the service. In lieu of flowers, Jim asks that you all share your favorite puns as he loved to laugh most of all and was always entertaining those he loved with the joke of the day.