A funeral service will be held tomorrow for Neidra Hill, one of Camden and the Macarthur region’s sporting giants.
The service will be held at 10.30am in St John’s Anglican Church, Camden. It will also be live streamed on a big screen at the Neidra Hill centre Cowpasture Reserve softball field.
Neidra Hill was the founder of both the softball and hockey associations and devoted her life to these sports.
She was 88 when she passed away on the last day of July.
Both the softball and hockey associations posted glowing tributes of the late Neidra Hill ahead of her funeral, which is expected to attract huge gatherings both in church and at Cowpasture Reserve.
“Softball Macarthur is devastated by losing a titan of our community, Neidra Hill AM, early this morning,’’ the softball tribute said.
“In 1975 Neidra founded the Camden and Districts Women’s Softball Association, then (Macarthur District Softball Association and now Softball Macarthur) in our local community of Camden.
“Neidra was president of the Macarthur Softball Association, starting at Hilder Reserve, Elderslie and moving to our current fields at Cowpasture Reserve.
“By 1985, Neidra was given life membership to the Association. She has also been given a Softball NSW life membership.
“Neidra founded and was an active member of the Wanderers Softball Club where she played and coached many teams.
“In 2006, Neidra set up a new club, The Narellan Sportz Softball Club to which she was president for 18 years. During this time the club had a name change to Sportz Braves, which Neidra embraced with many teams under her guidance.
“Her achievements in the local community are countless, for which she received an AM,’’ said the softball association tribute.
In the hockey tribute Neidra Hill was described as “a fundamental force within our local association and across the sporting community of the local area’’.
“A life member of Metropolitan South West Hockey Association, Neidra pioneered grass roots sports in the Macarthur area, with hockey but also significantly contributing to softball within our LGA.
“Neidra was involved in hockey for over 50 years, coaching, umpiring and dedicating her time and energy completing tasks to ensure our facilities were in their best condition.
“When things weren’t going well from when we started looking for funding (for 5 long years), Neidra always had faith that our goal would be reached and kept us going,’’ said the hockey association tribute.
Neidra was an absolute treasure for the Camden community. Her contributions to public education in the local community were just as important as her sporting involvement.