Obituary of Tom Hill

Thomas “Tom” Lee Hill, 76, of Newton, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, August 7, 2025, with his wife and son by his side.

Tom was born on December 23, 1948, in Des Moines, Iowa, to Lucas M. Hill and Virginia (Thomas) Hill. He grew up in Des Moines and graduated from North High School with the class of 1967. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Iowa and later received his master’s degree from Viterbo University.

On August 2, 1980, Tom was united in marriage to Lou Ann Scribner in Newton. They recently celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary. Together they raised their son, Andrew L. Hill.

Tom dedicated his career to teaching social studies and coaching various sports at Newton High School, where he worked from 1975 until his retirement in 2011. He was head boys track coach from 1989–2011.  He had a deep love for history, especially World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, and he shared that passion with his students over the years.

Outside of the classroom and coaches’ box, Tom was a devoted Iowa Hawkeyes fan and especially enjoyed cheering on the Iowa Women’s Basketball team with Lou Ann, where they held season tickets for many seasons. He also loved watching sports on television, golfing, biking, and traveling—particularly to the north shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota, one of his favorite places.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, his brother-in-law, Floyd Innis, and his nephew, Chris Innis.

Those left to cherish his memory include his loving wife, Lou Ann of Newton; his son, Andrew Hill of Iowa City; his sisters-in-law, Pat (Jerry) Kinnaird of Cedar Falls and Rosemary Innis of Johnston; and his cherished nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Lou Ann and Andrew would like to acknowledge the wonderful health care Tom received from Mayo Clinic over the last 20 years, for which they are deeply grateful.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Krumm Center at the Newton Arboretum.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Tom’s honor to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester, MN, the Newton Arboretum, the Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City, or WesleyLife Hospice.