Daniel Prince
Hill was a longtime police officer and served on both city and county councils
Union County Council held a moment of silence before its meeting Tuesday night to remember one of its own. Tommie Hill Sr., the district 5 representative on council, passed away last Thursday at his home.
Hill was a standout athlete at Sims High School, lettering in football, basketball, baseball, and track and field. He was inducted into the Union High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
After receiving an associate degree from the College of Charleston, he worked for a time at Buffalo Mill and Carlisle Finishing before becoming a City of Union police officer in 1976. In 1979, he was honored as employee of the month for rescuing a man from a burning mobile home. Later that same year, he rescued a person from a wrecked burning vehicle. He retired as a detective in the year 2000. He stayed on as a part-time officer after his retirement, and his career in law enforcement spanned 30 years in all. He served as bailiff with the Clerk of Court’s Office until 2016.
He made an unsuccessful bid for sheriff in 2004. Two years later, he was elected for the first of two terms on Union City Council. After being defeated by Tommy Anthony in 2014, he ran for the County Council District 5 seat and won. He was in the middle of his second term in office at his death.
Hill is survived by four sons, three daughters, 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, one brother, and one sister. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at Union County Stadium, with interment to follow in the McBeth Church Cemetery at 1511 Cross Keys Highway. The family will receive friends at the home.