James Troy "J.T." Hill
James Troy "J.T." Hill, of Hixson, died on September 24, 2021, at the age of 91.
He was of the Baptist faith.
He was preceded in death by infant daughter Lisa Dianne Hill of Chattanooga; father James Luther Hill, mother Rachel Culpepper, six half¬sisters, and two half-brothers, all of DeKalb County, Alabama.
He graduated from Geraldine High School, DeKalb County, Al., in 1949. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy, serving during the Korean War aboard the USS Harry E. Hubbard, DD 748, from 1950-53. After working as an auto mechanic, Mr. Hill opened Highland Plaza Gulf service station as operator and certified mechanic in 1964 and later moved to J.T. Hill Chevron in Hixson in 1978 as owner and operator. He was in the service station business for over 35 years.
As president of the Chattanooga chapter of the Tennessee Retail Gasoline Dealers Association for four years, Mr. Hill traveled to Nashville frequently. He was instrumental in getting the state law changed to allow service station dealers the option of first refusal toward the purchase of the property they were operating at that time. He also appeared before the DOE in Washington, DC concerning gasoline allocations for service station dealers.
Mr. Hill leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Dianne Harding Hill, daughters Tammie Sherwood (Allen) of Ooltewah and Tonya Drumm (Arie) of West Palm Beach, Florida, and granddaughters Allison Ruth Sherwood of Beaufort, SC, and Laura Michelle Sherwood of Chattanooga.
A private burial will be held at Chattanooga National Cemetery with Pastor Brad Gray of Red Bank Baptist Church officiating.
Please share your thoughts and memories atwww.chattanooganorthchapel.com.