50 replies to this topic

[Gary C]

Damon has just tweeted that his mother has passed away. Her and Graham, what a team they were. RIP.

[SJ Lambert]

Farewell Bette

[Ray Bell]

Did she remarry?

Or has she spent just over 42 years on her own?

Sad, whichever way it was. Obviously a real trooper...

[2F-001]

That is sad news; I hope her passing was as peaceful as possible. (Does anyone know if Bette had been ill?)

Certainly one of the great racing 'teams'.

I'd just begun reading Damon's recent book too.

[ensign14]

Sad to hear.  As big a fighter as her husband, having to keep it all together after his death and the financial fallout.  RIP.

[AJCee]

Echoing others' sentiments, condolences to family and those who knew her. RIP

[Vitesse2]

Truly a grande dame of motor racing. RIP Bette.

[john winfield]

Very sad. RIP Bette and condolences to Damon, Brigitte, Samantha and all the family.

[E1pix]

That really is sad. For her son to even race, much less accomplish what he did, says everything about her.

Sad for Damon and his sister, and all who went through what had to be 42 tough years.

But now she's with Graham again, and that makes me smile.

RIP.

[retriever]

A very sad day. A great lady has gone. Rest in peace Bette Hill.

[MCS]

A great shame and bad timing for the children and grandchildren.  Very sad news.  I drove through Arkley the other day for the first time in ages and thought about the terrible accident that befell Graham and his team.

 

God rest her soul. She will be fondly remembered by many.

[10kDA]

RIP Bette

[SophieB]

How sad. The love and pride Damon Hill had for his mum shone through so strongly when he spoke of her, especially her prowess as an oarswoman, remembering proudly how she was the famous one to a newspaper report when she married Graham.

[Richard Jenkins]

Bette had become increasingly frail and health took a downturn in recent years.
RIP to an amazing woman in so many ways but it's worth remembering that she was an Olympic-standard rower before she met NGH.
She deserves to be remembered for her achievements as much as being a wife and mother.
Sincere condolences to all the Hill family.

[Doug Nye]

Sad news indeed about a truly remarkable lady.  Never mind Graham almost defining competitiveness - Bette was every bit as competitive, not least in her early rowing.  And the manner in which she picked up the pieces and conducted herself after Graham's not-exactly-unpredictable final accident was absolutely exemplary.  She showed tremendous courage - and class.  Most sincere condolences to Damon, to the girls and to all Bette's family and many, many friends...

 

DCN

[Alan Cox]

Sad news indeed about a truly remarkable lady.  Never mind Graham almost defining competitiveness - Bette was every bit as competitive, not least in her early rowing.  And the manner in which she picked up the pieces and conducted herself after Graham's not-exactly-unpredictable final accident was absolutely exemplary.  She showed tremendous courage - and class.  Most sincere condolences to Damon, to the girls and to all Bette's family and many, many friends...
DCN

Hear, hear, Doug

In the Oulton Park pits Spring Trophy 1965

[Paul Hurdsfield]

Very sad news, condolences the all the Hill family.
I still have her book "The other side of the Hill" I might dig it out and read it again.

[Tim Murray]

I love this photo:

http://media.gettyim...ture-id80747535

RIP Bette - a great lady.

[Rob Ryder]

RIP Bette... you brought class to the race tracks of the world for decades.

[llmaurice]

What a great shame ,She took a wasp sting out of my eyelid when we were on our way to (I think) Monaco in 1958 .A rock of a lady in those days ,always behind Graham at the meetings and also doing the time keeping etc..

My sympahies to the family.

[Bloggsworth]

A woman of outstanding strength and character, she will be missed.

[Nick Planas]

This is very sad news. Doug has summed her up - courage and class, in spades methinks.

 

Condolences to Brigitte, Damon and Samantha and their families.

[Dick Dastardly]

RIP Bette and sincere condolences to Damon and the Hill family.

[eldougo]

The two are back on the pit wall together again..RIP.

[JacnGille]

Sad news

[charles r]

RIP Bette. Very sad news. Every bit a part of racing history as her husband and son.

[alfredaustria]

I met Bette at the Goodwood Revival 2009. This photo from Bette and me was taken from her grandson.

 

 

[Michael Ferner]

Immensely saddened to hear this! Condolences to those close to her, and RIP

[cooper997]

My condolences to Bette's family and friends.

 

Stephen

[cpbell]

Very sad, she was a tower of strength for Graham and must have been even stronger seeing her son also take part at the highest level in what was even by then still a dangerous sport.

[Gary Davies]

RIP Bette. A fine lady.

[BuddyHolly]

RIP Bette. she was an amazing woman indeed, such a bad time to lose someone too  ..not that there's ever a good time..

[B Squared]

My condolences to the Hill family and friends. From all I've read over the years, an extraordinary lady.

[Coral]

Very sad to hear this. RIP Bette.

[Odseybod]

The upstairs branch of the Doghouse Clubhouse is filling up far too quickly.

 

Condolences to the Hill family on their loss. Many fond memories.

[BuddyHolly]

I have to throw a moan in here (sorry) but I was quite disgusted/disappointed that the BBC never even mentioned this on the news, on their news site or even in the F1 section.  not a word, shame on you guys.

Edited by BuddyHolly, 11 December 2017 - 00:42.

[raceannouncer2003]

Sorry to hear this.

 

I understand she was born in New Hampshire in the United States.  Was she raised in England ?

 

Vince H.

[john aston]

I have to throw a moan in here (sorry) but I was quite disgusted/disappointed that the BBC never even mentioned this on the news, on their news site or even in the F1 section.  not a word, shame on you guys.

 Sorry , but I don't see it as being important outside our world. I am not being harsh, and doubtless  BH was a formidable woman,  but she has not been in the public eye for decades. I suspect  at least 95% of the audience would never have heard of her . I may be in a minority , but I think Grand Prix racing  has suffered from far too much media coverage rather than not enough.   

[Graham Gauld]

Vince

 

You have the wrong Bette Hill  !

 

GG

[Vitesse2]

Indeed. She was actually three years older than Graham, her birth being registered as Betty P Shubrook in Southwark 1926. International rower, represented Great Britain in both 1952 and 1954. Married Graham in 1955.

[ensign14]

Scored a bronze in the women's quad sculls in the European Championship in 1954. 

 

That seems small beer, given the way the UK dominates rowing these days, but no other British women's team scored a medal at a major championships until 1985.  

 

 

^ after winning in the eights at the Women's International Regatta in Amsterdam in 1952; one of three regattas run as a test series for the eventual European championships.  Back then "Team GB" would just enter a boat club crew rather than trying to pick a representative outfit.

[techart]

Often wondered how Bette was. She gave me my first chance to get my work published! Wonderful woman RIP Bette.

[BuddyHolly]

 Sorry , but I don't see it as being important outside our world. I am not being harsh, and doubtless  BH was a formidable woman,  but she has not been in the public eye for decades. I suspect  at least 95% of the audience would never have heard of her . I may be in a minority , but I think Grand Prix racing  has suffered from far too much media coverage rather than not enough.   

 

I totally understand where you come from with this but even so, considering what other pointless F1 so-called 'news' they put on that site, I doubt it would have hurt to have a small article and a photo.

[Vitesse2]

I think it's not beyond the bounds of possibility that the family may have asked news outlets to restrict coverage. Bette had kept herself very private in recent years, not least because of one article published in the early 2000s:

 

http://forums.autosp...h/#entry1598637

[jonpollak]

Oh My Goodness..I've only just heard !!

What a spectacular innings she had.

Long Live The Doghouse  !!!

 

Jp

[D-Type]

RIP Bette.  My condolences to Brigitte, Samantha, Damon and all the family.

[Vitesse2]

Fulsome obituary by David Tremayne.

 

http://www.independe...n-a8105686.html

[Giraffe]

Bette pictured at the BRM day held in Bourne, October 2013. RIP.

[cooper997]

I've not seen this BRM artwork before - Graham and Bette included.
https://www.facebook...3&theater&ifg=1

Stephen

[Michael Ferner]

"BRM über alles at Nürburg"?