Obituary of Ernest Hilton

Ernest “Jeff” Hilton, 74, of Hamilton, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 9, 2017 at home surrounded by his loving family after a brief illness. Born and raised in Trenton, Jeff was a resident of Hamilton for the last 46 years. He was a 1960 graduate of Trenton High School, following which he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education from Trenton State College. His Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision was achieved at Rider College. He played football at Trenton High and at Trenton State College. He coached baseball in the West End Little League and football at Junior 2 and Trenton High. Mr. Hilton was a career educator and administrator in the Trenton School District. He began his career as a special education teacher at Junior 2, he was then principal at Columbus, Jefferson and Parker Elementary Schools, as well as at Grace Dunn Middle School. Jeff enjoyed playing tennis, and any game played with a deck of cards, preferably for a wager. Jeff was a frequent visitor to Atlantic City and always split his winnings with his beloved wife Nancy. After his retirement, they traveled extensively on cruises around the world. Jeff’s wife, children and grandchildren were the light of his life. He was a passionate Philadelphia Eagles fan. As a season ticket holder, he and his son Jeff, attended nearly every game played at the Eagles home stadium. His daughter Kiersty left no stone unturned on learning of her dad’s pancreatic cancer. She researched, attended every appointment and fought fiercely to ensure her dad had the best treatment and care available. Jeff was an avid horse and dog lover and took great joy in sharing that love with his daughter Lauren. They spent many cherished hours together at the barn and with their rescue dogs. Jeff’s wife and children paid their final respects to him with the devoted care they provided to him throughout his illness. Son of the late Ernest and Elizabeth Hilton, he is survived by his adored wife and best friend of 49 years, Nancy (Kovacs) Hilton; son Jeffrey and his wife Jennifer, their children Jake and Charlotte; daughter Kiersty (Hilton) McDougall and her husband Joe, their children Tyler, Alyssa and Julia; daughter Lauren Hilton and her husband Michael Jeff and their daughter Natalie. Also surviving is his brother Gary Hilton Sr; his niece Betsy Hilton-Hansbury; his sister-in-law and brother-in-law Joan and Ernest Napoleon and their children, his nephew Nicholas and niece Alexandra Napoleon. Jeff was predeceased by his sister-in-law Carol Hilton and his cherished nephew, Gary Hilton, Jr. Jeff was a beautiful soul and will be deeply missed. Relatives and friends are invited to celebrate Jeff’s life on Sunday morning, July 16, 2017 from 10am to 12 noon at the Poulson & Van Hise Funeral Directors, 650 Lawrence Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Funeral services will follow at 12 Noon at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Jeff’s name to Pancreatic Cancer Research at www.aloveforlife.us