Russell Otto Hilleke passed away peacefully on July 22,2025, in Monroe, LA. Russell was born January 18,1951, in Gadsden, AL, the third of six adorable children born to James Dempsey Hilleke and Eleanor Helen Otto Hilleke.
He is preceded in death by his parents, and by two young brothers, Glen Alan and Lee Owen Hilleke.
Those left to cherish his memory include his wife of thirty-eight years, Elizabeth Horton Hilleke of Monroe, LA, and by their daughter, Dr. Katerina Pauline Hilleke of Rochester, NY. He is also survived by his brother, Jim Hilleke (Laura), sisters, Delby Morrow (Alan) and Wendy Wilkins (Steve), and a veritable throng of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.
A 1969 graduate of Gadsden High, he then was a helluva engineer at Georgia Tech, graduating with a degree in physics in 1973. After two years of active duty in the Army, serving at Fort Lawton, WA and Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, he entered graduate school at the University of Illinois. He earned his Ph.D. in 1984, with a dissertation entitled “Momentum density of hcp and liquid helium-4 by inelastic neutron scattering. ”Russ spent several years at Argonne National Laboratory in a post-doc position before moving to Terre Haute, IN, to fulfill his life’s dream of being a college physics professor. After two years at Indiana State, in 1988 he accepted a teaching position at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, where he remained for the rest of his career, retiring in 2019.
At The Citadel, Russ was a beloved professor who enjoyed every minute of teaching and being with the cadets. The admin stuff, well, not so much. He was an active participant in many facets of life at The Citadel and was very honored to be a part of the institution. Russ also spent many years working with the Boy Scouts of America in Charleston as an assistant and full scoutmaster, taking the troop on camping trips and day hikes, attending summer camp, and making the trek out to Philmont.
Russ was extremely proud of his daughter and enthusiastically attended her events. He served as a swim meet official for many years, thankfully never having to DQ his daughter. He was beyond proud when she earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry and followed her career with great interest.
After retirement from The Citadel, Russ and Beth moved to Monroe, LA to be with most of Russ’s family. His decline from cognitive issues and Parkinson’s went slowly at first, but in recent months was quite rapid. Our thanks to the staff at the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Home and the staff of Allegiance Hospice for their loving care of Russ over the last eleven weeks of his life.
A memorial service in Charleston and burial at Beaufort National Cemetery will be later this summer. Memorials are suggested to The Citadel Foundation – Hilleke Scholarship and can be made online at foundation.citadel.edu (click the Give/Donate button and designate your donation for Russ’s scholarship) or mailed to The Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultrie Street, Charleston, SC 29409.
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