Profile Image
Roberta Sawyer
February 05, 2019

Obituary

DARTMOUTH — Roberta E. (Hill) Sawyer, age 97, of South Dartmouth, MA, widow of William R. Sawyer, passed away on February 5, 2019.

Daughter of Herbert D. and Priscilla D. Hill (Crosby). Beloved elder sister of Herbert D. Hill, Jr., Boston and Mashpee and the late Noel T. Hill, South Dartmouth. Survived by niece Lesley Hill, South Dartmouth, and three nephews Peter N. Hill, Las Vegas, NV, David W. Hill, Broomfield, CO, and Edward Hill, Washington, DC as well as two stepdaughters, Patricia Smith, Dartmouth and Linda Lawson, Dedham.

She was raised on Round Hill along with her two younger brothers where she was witness to the glamorous era of the birth of aviation, meeting many aviators who landed at the private airport. Her father, Bert, operated the Round Hill Airport and the Bert Hill School of Aviation; Bert had opened the airport at the request of Colonel Edward Howland Robinson Green, after he had made an emergency landing on the expanse of lawn in front of the Colonel’s mansion. She was proud of having soloed in an airplane at age 14 at Round Hill Airport which instilled in her a lifelong love of flying. She was the last person alive to have personally known Colonel Green, the son of Hetty Green, the legendary witch of Wall Street (a distant cousin on the Howland line) whom she called Uncle Ned.

She graduated from Smith College in 1943 and completed two years of graduate work in cinema and drama at U.S.C. On her return to South Dartmouth, she became Harriet Hall, her radio personality at stations WFMR, WNBH, and WBSM. She later taught English at Roosevelt Junior High School and New Bedford High School and was dean of students there for 13 years.

She directed plays for the 20-30 Club at Grace Church, New Bedford, and was alternate director/actor for the Spouters Theatre Group, a member of the College Club of New Bedford, and the Smith College Club of Southeastern Massachusetts. She was a member of the Friends of Dartmouth Libraries, serving as secretary, president and treasurer, and a member of St. Luke’s Hospital Auxiliary as well as board member and scholarship chairman. She was also a longtime member of the Wamsutta Club.

Even if a real Yankee, descending through Mayflower passengers John and Priscilla Alden and Thomas Rogers, she was no snob, except about good grammar, correct pronunciation and spelling (to the frequent annoyance of her brother Herb!) She adored animals, especially cats. Until quite recently she read the New Yorker cover to cover and completed The New York Times crossword puzzle daily. She kept her sense of humor even in her later years and frequently said ’Don’t live this long; you won’t like it!” Her presence at dinners in Padanaram with her niece Lesley will be very much missed, particularly by the two resident cats who always took their places on chairs next to hers.

The family is very grateful to her caregivers, Judy Rodrigues Robertson, Rebecca Belanger Smith, and Wesley Smith as well as to the wonderful attention and loving friendship of her close friend and neighbor, Collette Lester.

Arrangements are by Wilson Chapel, New Bedford and a memorial service will be held at the Wamsutta Club at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to the New Bedford Whaling Museum or to The Friends of Dartmouth Libraries.

Content is coming soon...
Wilson Funeral Chapel
479 County Street
New Bedford, MA 02740
508-993-4313