West Windsor police lieutenant Keith Hillman died July 5 at the age of 40. On July 11 family, friends, colleagues, and hundreds of uniformed police officers from around the state gathered at St. David the King Roman Catholic Church for his funeral and for the burial in the Dutch Neck Presbyterian Church Cemetery near the Hillman family home.##M:[more]##
Among the tributes paid to Hillman were the following:
Reverend Timothy J. Capewell, pastor of St. David, from his sermon: He had tremendous character. He could make you laugh and cry in the same sentence. He had a tremendous affect on people. Those who he loved, as well as those he didn’t know.
Chief Joseph Pica, from his eulogy: I first met Keith 17 years ago, in 1989. I arrived at a crime scene, and Keith was already there, with 15 stitches in his head, all bandaged up, and I said, “”What are you doing working?”” He said, “”It’ll take more than a hole in my head to keep me from showing up. I love this job.””
He was the department’s go-to guy. He excelled at everything he did. You were the best of the best. Thank you for being my friend.
Council President Linda Geevers: Lt. Hillman was one of the finest police officers our department has ever had. He exhibited great leadership skills and dedication in helping not only our community but in helping other communities in times of crisis. He had tremendous passion for his work and for his family. He will be greatly missed.
Councilman Charles Morgan: The passing of Lt. Hillman is a tragedy on many levels — his wife, his children, his extended family, the police department and the entire West Windsor community. He was a rare combination of nice guy and competent professional. It is simply hard to believe that he isn’t here any more. All of us need to take a lesson from his passing and remember that we need to make the best of our time while we are here because it can end suddenly and unexpectedly.
Councilwoman Barbara Pfeifer: As a council member I was also extremely proud of our township police force and especially Chief Pica, who gave a very thoughtful and emotional eulogy. Many came to know and respect him through the words of Chief Pica, family members, as well as Lt. Hillman’s wife. It was hard not to see the strength and integrity of those who served along side Lt. Hillman and the many other uniformed officers, EMS workers, firefighters, and dignitaries who came from nearby towns to pay their respects to the Hillman and Moran families.
