Hill retires from DYS
By Arthur McLean

Bill Hill was given a reception at his retirement from DYS Friday. From left is Sarah Smith, Phil Craddock, Louise Hill, Bill Hill and Mayor Sheldon Day. Hill was presented with a proclamation naming Dec. 29 as William Hill Day. He was also presented with a Bible from the DYS staff.

Bill Hill retired from the Department of Youth Services Friday where he has worked for the past 13 years.

"I came in with the original crew when it opened," he said. Prior to coming back to his hometown, Hill had spent most of his career teaching, having most recently taught at Sidney Lanier High School.

Over the years, he's seen nearly 5,000 boys come through the program. And while he was the lead instructor at the program, Hill said it bore very little resemblance to his previous teaching experiences.

"Here, we had the boys 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "We could do more with them here than at a school."

The vast majority of the kids never had to come back to DYS, and Hill said that every once in a while around the state, he'll run into a former student that has done something positive with his life. "That's one of the things that makes me proud," Hill said. "I've gotten a great joy out of working with the people there and seeing the success stories."

Hill said he has no plans for his life in retirement. "We'll see what comes along and what direction things take. I've spent 36 years working with kids and it's been great."

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