Robert L. (Bob) Hilton was born in November 1952 in Beloit, Wisconsin — the middle child of three, who grew up across the driveway from his grandparents and never forgot what it meant to be rooted in family.
Bob's early years took him from Beloit to DeKalb, Illinois and Ames, Iowa before a family move brought him to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Ft. Lauderdale High School and enrolled at Florida State University, where his studies were interrupted by a call to serve in the US Army. He served until midsummer 1974, then returned to FSU that fall.
It was back at FSU that destiny intervened. On September 13, 1974, Bob met Chris Ann Chapman. He proposed at the Homecoming PowWow on November 15, 1974. They married on August 2, 1975, and have built a life together ever since — blessed with three sons, Scott, David, and Stephen.
After graduating, Bob built a distinguished newspaper career. He began at the St. Petersburg Times, then moved to the Kansas City Star. From there he joined the Boca Raton News — a Knight Ridder paper — as Circulation Director. Within a short time he was named Vice President, Marketing, taking responsibility for both the circulation and advertising divisions. After seven years at the Boca Raton News, he accepted the position of Circulation Marketing Manager at the Wichita Eagle, also a Knight Ridder newspaper, where he earned his MBA summa cum laude while managing a large circulation department.
He later became a financial advisor at Raymond James in St. Petersburg, retiring January 4, 2023. Today Bob writes, plays violin, travels, and savors every moment with the people he loves. His writing draws on every chapter of that life — the disciplines of newspaper and financial services management, the conviction of a man of faith, and the warmth of a grandfather who still believes the best stories are the true ones.
