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EILEEN DEWAR HILL
1914—1995
ileen Dewar was born in British Guiana (presently Guyana) on November 22, 1914. At the age of twenty—five she married James Hill, and together they had one son. Eileen was one of the early believers of British Guiana. She learned of the Faith through her sister, Mrs. Clarine Savory, who had accepted the Cause brought to the country by Knight of Bahá’u’lláh Dr.
‘58 in 1954. As the sisters
Malcolm King were always close, it was not long before Eileen saw the light, became convinced of its reality, and declared her faith on April 1, 1956.
A zealous Bahá’í, Eileen went about teaching on a regular basis. On Sundays she and Clarine, together with their close friends Richard and Vida Backwell (pioneers from the United Kingdom from 1955 to 1962), and a few others would go out to teach in areas they felt to be in greatest need. One rainy day at Plaisance, a Village five miles outside of Georgetown, Eileen slipped and fell on the muddy road. When she was upright again, she said with a smile, “Never mind, it’s for the sake of Bahá’u’lláh."
From 1958 to 1980 Eileen served the Guyana Society for the Blind as a home visitor and later as the supervisor of its
158 See “In Memoriam,” 7776 Bn/Jzi’z' World, vol. XIV, pp. 316—17.
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258 THE BAHA’I’ WORLD
headquarters. After office hours she would often read Bahá’í books to those who were interested, and as a result of her teaching activities three members of the society declared their faith. Her one regret was to discover that a man who had wanted to sign his declaration card on a previous visit had passed away. She was very upset about this because she felt that he had not learned enough and that she had prevented him from enrolling in the Faith.
Eileen was elected in 1970 to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Guianas and continued to serve it until she pioneered in 1982. For most of the time that she was on that body, she was its treasurer, having a reputation for meticulous bookkeeping.
In 1973 she first visited the Holy Land as a delegate to the International Convention. She also served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Georgetown and was its librarian from 1957 to 1982, a period of twenty—five years.
In 1982 at the age of sixty—eight, Eileen moved to Grenada, fulfilling Guyana’s first international pioneer goal. “Auntie” or “Auntie Hill,” as she was fondly called in Grenada, was elected to that country’s first National Assembly at Riḍván 1984 and served on it for six years, functioning as its treasurer for two years and its secretary for two years. In addition she acted as its librarian for many years. She also served on the Local Assembly of Springs/Woodlands from 1984 until the time of her return to Guyana in December 1993 for reasons of health.
She Visited the Holy Land a second time in 1988 as a delegate to the International Convention, and in March of1989, at the age of seventy—five, she made a two-week teaching trip to St. Vincent.
Eileen passed away on October 23, 1995. She will be remembered as an illustrious
Elem Dewar Hill
figure in the history of the Faith in Guyana. Described as an irreplaceable loss, her service to the Faith was always given with dedication, dignity, and careful attention to the guidance of the writings. On April 7, 1996, the Department of the Secretariat wrote:
The Universal House ofjustice was saddened to receive the news . . . of the passing of the steadfast, devoted and tireless promoter of the Cause Mrs. Eileen Hill. Her many years of dedicated service in Guyana and as a pioneer in Grenada are lovingly remembered. The House of Justice will oHer prayers at the Sacred Threshold for the progress of her radiant soul throughout the
worlds of God.
Adapted from an article submitted 17y The National Spiritual 14556me of the Balapi’z’s of Guyana
