Albert Joseph Hill passed away on August 4, 2020 in Cortland, NY. Albert was born in Danby, New York, on August 23, 1938 to Bertha and Theodore Hill.

Those who knew Al knew that he was a strong man, a Navy veteran, whose hands were the size of bear paws, and at the same time, had a hug that made you feel equal parts loved and safe. Once you knew him, you loved him. And no matter who you were, once he loved you, you felt safe, seen, and respected. Gentle, loving, tolerant, respectful, and kind, he felt fully from his heart. He would help anyone who needed it, but he would always humbly accept gratitude, and reject any kind of compensation or praise.

Al was also known for his voice. In school, he loved art and music, as well as physical education, where he dominated in wrestling. But he always dreamt of becoming a musician, and so he learned how to play guitar, and then sang every chance he got. He recorded many songs for his family – his favorites were country, gospel, and bluegrass. We are grateful that we get to forever treasure his voice.

Albert was also a jack-of-all-trades– his common sense, street smarts, and having knowledge about so many things – from fixing cars to loading his own bullets, to building his entire house to inventing and building contraptions to help solve any problem, he held knowledge that did not seem possible to hold within one person. He was an expert at pinching a penny, and it helped that he never cared how something looked – just how it worked. He would teach this wealth of knowledge to anyone who wanted to learn; he was ever so gracious with his patience, time, and energy. His son Albey says that even though he spent his whole life learning from his Dad, “I was not done learning from him.”

As a husband for almost 63 years, he was thoughtful and nurturing. He would often stop to pick flowers for Dorothy on his way home from work. After retirement, he became a good cook, taking pride in creating meals and sharing them with Dorothy. Far from the perfect romantic, he also liked to tease Dorothy into frustration, organize and re-organize all of her cupboards, and play dumb to her questions while winking at one of the kids. Refusing to wear his hearing aids, Albert used to say that he didn’t like to wear them because if he did, he could hear Dorothy’s “nagging”. But despite his jokes, he adored his wife and showed her every single day how much she was loved. Whether it was a quick kiss while saying “I love you, Ma,” or calling her Darling every single night before sleep. He also created special moments even to the end: Dorothy and Albert would save all of their pennies to go enjoy ice cream together, which is where they were when he passed away.

As an uncle, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, he taught us to be humble, honest, and respectful. He taught us to treasure the simple moment: maybe it was a brief message that spoke directly to your heart, or to enjoy a movie together, to share a meal, or to have a real conversation with each other. He loved his naps, his food, and his candy. When someone would make food for him, you could expect to hear, “Man, that is good! That was the best I ever had!” His children remember that whether they were fishing with him, singing with him, or cutting wood together, it was a treasured experience. He truly listened – to everything you said – but was known for being quiet himself. When he did speak, everyone listened. He was a passionate and funny storyteller, and always wanted to make everyone happy and to get others to share in a laugh together. He treasured making us laugh at every age – and his repertoire ranged from “I’ve got your nose” with children to telling great jokes and fascinating stories, or watching funny movies together.

Something we did not all know until his passing, is that he recognized all of our differences and celebrated them with us, without us even knowing. Whether it was having your favorite food in the kitchen if you were to come visit, or to bring you a meaningful and thoughtful gift, he knew what each of us liked. He had frozen cherries for Desiree’ and Kristylee, cheese and chocolates for Wilson and Willow, cheese, pepperoni, and crackers for Misty (until she became vegan and then he gave up). He also was gracious with giving and often gave his or Albey’s canned foods to those he loved. He also made all of us feel was that he was proud of us – whether it was for showing kindness, for working hard, for shooting targets well, or for accomplishing our goals, he would beam love, excitement, and pride for you.

Albert left an impression on the hearts of everyone he met. He will be missed and treasured in our hearts forever.

He is survived by his wife, Dorothy, his children, Albert Hill, Jr. (Alesia); Steven Hill; Misty Ginicola (Michael), and his beloved pet, Rusty, who he played fetch with every single day. He was loved by his 5 grandchildren, Desiree’ (Herbert), Kristylee (Mike), Sarah, Wilson, and Willow, his great-grandchild William, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, Theodore and Bertha, and all of his siblings, James, Lewis, Agnes, Edith, Theodore, Ada, and Frances. There will be no calling hours or funeral, as Albert wished. There will be a memorial service held at a later date.