In Memoriam: Michael Hilley, 80
36-Years in Chase Manhattan Branch Administration
Michael (Mike) Hugh Hilley, 80, of East Elmhurst, NY, died on February 9, 2025, of complications of aspiration pneumonia, at New York Presbyterian Hospital in Flushing, NY. He was a 36-year veteran of Chase Manhattan.
A lifetime resident of Queens, Hilley was the youngest of four children. His father passed away when he was 12 years old, leaving his mother to care for the family alone.
He attended Power Memorial Academy in Manhattan. After graduation, he worked at Chase Manhattan Bank on a four-year training program in Branch Operations, while going to night school at The American Institute of Banking and Pace University. Over the four years, he trained in 44 Chase branches.
He took a short break from school in 1964, as he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Due to an accident in his seventh week of basic training, he was hospitalized and had to restart the eight weeks of basic training from the beginning. His original Military Occupation Skill, however, was changed from “pole climber” in Vietnam to company clerk in West Germany. When the placement officials saw his background, Hilley was assigned to an Army Finance Company where he learned the job in two weeks and was promoted to Specialist Five (Sergeant) in his first year.
Hilley returned to Chase and joined the Branch Administration Department, where he worked in several positions, including Training, Employee Communications, Creative Services and Corporate Communications. With all the mergers in the banking world, he decided to retire early retire in 1997. He formed a company where he used his skills to provide creative assistance to several church related organizations, usually at cost.
In retirement, he assisted the Knights of Columbus as a 60-year member of Olympia Council at Mary’s Nativity-St. Ann Parish. He held various positions including Grand Knight, District Deputy, State Chairman of Public Relations and Faithful Comptroller of the Commodore John Barry Assembly. He coordinated blood drives, clothing drives and prayer services to the Divine Mercy, and assisted with the pro-life efforts of The Bridge To Life. Through his leadership, together with his Council and the Supreme Council, an ultrasound machine was donated to New Beginnings Center of Hope in Jamaica, NY.
He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Kathy, his son, Brian, and two sisters.
Remembrances
news@chasealum.org
From Ken Jablon: I knew Mike for some time at Chase but I got to know him better after Art Ryan took over the Consumer part of the bank.
I would write a draft of the presentation that would end up on physical “slides. Mike would produce these slides on a Mac computer (the IT area hated Macs). There were always last-minute changes (literally), but Mike was always calm about it—me not so.