Richard V. Hiller, age 85, passed away peacefully on November 2, 2023 at the home that he and his "Rosebud" proudly shared for 58 years in Commack, NY.

Richard leaves his wife, Rosanne (Nemec) Hiller of 62 years, and his daughters Tracey Hiller and Kimberly Mikelinich. He is lovingly remembered as “Pop” by his grandchildren Christopher, Mary Kate, Rosalie, Joseph, Madison, and great-grandchildren Scarlett and Damien. Richard is predeceased by his son, Richard T. Hiller, who passed in 2003.

The son of Henry and Eleanor (Gerity) Hiller, Richard was born and raised in Jackson Heights, NY, also home to his closest lifelong friends. After graduating from Immaculata High School, Richard worked for the Royal Typewriter Corporation before enlisting in the Army in 1957. He completed two years of active service as a trained paratrooper with the 50th Airborne Signal Battalion, during which he developed an affinity for radio communication. The young veteran began working as a conductor for the Long Island Railroad in 1959, retiring in 1994 after 35 years of loyal service.

When not working on the LIRR, Richard took immense joy in being part of his son’s hockey journey. A talented skater himself, Richard leaves behind a hockey legacy that extends well beyond the one he shared with his son, as he coached and mentored hundreds of Long Island youth during their formative hockey years.

A retiree of many hobbies, Richard was an amateur radio enthusiast, enjoying his early mornings with the “Before Breakfast Club” and other close friends on the Graveyard Net and beyond. AA2XK, the call sign he proudly bore, served as a net controller for over 20 years of his 30-year operator tenure. Treasuring every opportunity to connect with people near and far, Richard was happiest with a microphone in hand and friends on the air.

A self-made man, Richard learned by doing. And by doing, Richard had a habit of bringing to life all that he touched. An innate storyteller, jokester, dancer, tinkerer, groundskeeper, and bird feeder, Richard had an uncanny love for people and the world at large. His one-of-a-kind presence will be felt fiercely for years to come. 

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