In Loving Memory of John David Hilton, a.k.a. "Coach Dave"
September 15, 1950 - September 17, 2017
Baseball Player/Coach, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Friend, Mentor, Founder of Arizona School of Baseball
Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become, the hours of practice, and the coaches who have pushed you, is a little boy who fell in love with the game and never looked back.
Play for him.
From The Hilton Family:
The unexpected passing of our husband, dad, and grandfather - who felt invincible to us all - has been a shocking and incredibly saddening loss for our family. The Dave Hilton we all know and love was one of the most kind, compassionate, and consistent people throughout our lives together and the most admirable teacher, mentor, coach, and friend to us, as well. We will always cherish being able to celebrate his 67th birthday as a family the night before his passing, where we had such a wonderful time together playing with the grandkids, watching sports, laughing, and taking a group walk around the neighborhood. What a gift to be able to give him hugs, tell him we love him, and hear his corny jokes one last time that night!
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the ways you have loved us through this difficult time.
Share Memories
The Hilton family has cherished and found much comfort in the memories and stories sent to us. Thank you in advance for sharing any memories or thoughts you have about Dave Hilton via email at davehiltontribute@gmail.com. We appreciate all the love and care outpoured on behalf of our family more than we could ever express.
Photo Gallery
Tributes to Dave
Stories, links and more about Dave Hilton and the many lives he touched.
AZ Diamond Report
I lost a dear friend yesterday, and the baseball community lost one of its finest members. John David Hilton, known as Dave to all of us who called him a friend, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Scottsdale. He had turned 67 on Friday.
Read More...AZcentral.com
Dave Hilton was one of the most liked, well-respected coaches who never won a high school varsity baseball game. The first overall pick of the 1971 amateur baseball draft by the San Diego Padres, made his impact more behind the scenes in youth baseball...
Read More...PRI.org
When Dave Hilton wrote a letter to baseball clubs in Japan asking for a tryout, he didn't know it'd eventually help launch the career of a world-famous writer.
Read More...Padres 360 Interviews Dave Hilton
Former Padres 2B and 3B Dave Hilton talks about his baseball career and his time with the Padres.
Watch Video...Thank You
The entire Hilton family would like to thank their amazing families, friends, and the baseball community for their overwhelming love and caring support during our time of deep sadness and shocking grief. As a family, we choose to believe this new season in our lives will not be defined by our loss but by the legacy of love, faith in Christ, and the lessons we've learned from a life well-lived by Dave Hilton.