OBITUARY
Sue Hiller
Born: 23 March, 1955
Died: 15 October, 2011
PASSIONATE volleyball coach and devoted school teacher Sue Hiller died on 15 October. She was 56.
Ms Hiller contributed immensely to the Hallam community through her work, and is remembered by colleagues, friends and students as a generous person who devoted her life to developing volleyball in the area.
She started out as a state and national volleyball player in the 1970s before becoming a teacher and working within the Eumemmerring Alliance of Schools.
In her more than 30 years of teaching, she worked as a chemistry and science teacher at Eumemmerring Secondary College, Gleneagles Secondary College and then Hallam Senior College and developed close friendships with staff and students.
“In my time here at Hallam, Sue was an excellent chemistry teacher, always had the students outcomes very high on her agenda,” Hallam Senior College principal Anne Martin said.
“Students had great confidence in Sue and regarded her very highly.”
Physics teacher at Hallam Senior College Rob Zreczycki said Ms Hiller was a kind, generous and compassionate person who had an incredible knowledge of chemistry.
“She was a great mentor to me personally and everyone she came in contact with whether it was with staff or students,” he said.
“She was a human chemistry encyclopaedia, and I remember always being totally amazed with her knowledge of the subject. She will be very sadly missed.”
On top of teaching chemistry and science, Ms Hiller also focused heavily on developing volleyball as a sport and getting students involved.
She taught volleyball at schools and also coached the Eastside Hawks volleyball team on the side, taking them through many victories in the sport.
She was a life member and board member of Volleyball Victoria and was a key player in the establishment of the State Volleyball Centre.
Her good friend and current principal at Gleneagles Secondary College Sue Peddlesden said Ms Hiller was an energetic and friendly personality who brought life to the sport and the people around her.
“She was a very positive person who had high expectations of her students, but was very generous in supporting them to achieve those,” Ms Peddlesden said.
“She took our volleyball team to the finals regularly, and her encouragement has led many students to successful careers in volleyball outside school.”
Ms Hiller’s funeral was held last Wednesday at Boyd Chapel in the Springvale Botanical Cemetery in front of about 350 guests.
She leaves behind John, her husband of more than 30 years and her daughters Jenny and Emma.
