Jill A. Drohan of Hingham passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family, on Sunday, May 24, 2026. She was 80 years old.

To know Jill was to know laughter, adventure, and unconditional love. She was fearless, wildly fun, deeply loyal, and lived life to the fullest. 

Born and raised in Quincy and Milton, Jill was athletic and courageous from the very beginning. She graduated from Archbishop Williams High School and earned a degree in Physical Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Shortly after college, Jill met David at a party, and the connection between them was immediate. They were married less than a year later, beginning a love story that would span nearly six decades. Jill and David were true soulmates - best friends, partners in every adventure, and happiest simply being together. They raised four daughters and eventually welcomed eleven adored grandchildren, who became the center of Jill’s world.

A natural teacher and coach, Jill taught physical education at Milton High School and Pierce Middle School before moving to Hingham. She was then elected to the Hingham Recreation Department and served as its director for 25 years, creating programs and providing opportunities for sports and play for residents of all ages. Her summer camp program provided families with much needed enrichment opportunities for children and employed countless Hingham teenagers. Jill was an incredible role model and led by example - demonstrating to her campers and counselors how to jump into the game and play. She wasn’t just the Recreation Director, she was also the reigning ping pong champion! During this time, she also established the sailing program at Milton Academy, where she spent weekends driving teenagers to regattas all over the East Coast while raising four children and working full-time. She eventually led the team to the National Championships in San Diego, CA.

Long before it was common for women to do so, Jill ran two Boston Marathons and raced her beloved 210 sailboat, Mother, with an all-women crew. She never accepted limitations and modeled for her daughters how to move through the world boldly, confidently, and authentically.

 Jill was the kind of mom who could just as easily be found in a heated basketball game as riding a unicycle, kayaking, windsurfing, or skiing. She made friends everywhere she went, and people of all ages were instantly drawn to her energy, warmth, and love of life. Jill loved being outside with her friends - especially on the ocean, in the mountains, and on the golf course. She was a longtime member of both the Hingham Yacht Club and the Cohasset Golf Club and cherished her weekly bridge games with the same dear group of friends for nearly 40 years.

Jill’s greatest joy was being at home with the people she loved. The door to our home was always open. The house was rarely spotless, dinner may not have been made, and there was always a mix of neighborhood kids, friends, animals, teammates, and often a foreign exchange student passing through. Everyone was welcomed into the joyful chaos.

Family was everything to her. She never missed a game, race, regatta, recital, or event for her children and later for her grandchildren, earning legendary status as a passionate superfan on the sidelines of Milton Academy and Hingham High. Jill adored being “Nanny.” She often observed that, “All roads lead to Hingham,” but in reality, all roads led to Nanny.

Jill leaves behind her beloved husband of 58 years, David H. Drohan of Hingham; her daughters Jennifer Drohan and her husband Jason Dunn, Courtney Monnich and her husband Brian, Samantha Betti and her partner Anthony Ortiz, and Hillary Flynn and her husband Michael, all of Hingham; and her cherished grandchildren Benjamin, Eliza, Luke, Samuel, Meredith, James, Abby, Charlotte, Catherine “CC,” Jane, and Maggie. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Thomas Drohan and his wife Catherine of Hingham; her son-in-law Jonathan Betti of Hull; her siblings Richard Tibbetts of Hull, Joan Ratts of California, and Cheryl Gaffney of Rhode Island; along with many nieces, nephews, and countless lifelong friends.

Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to visiting hours on Monday, June 1, from 4–7 PM at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home (21 Emerald Street, Hingham). A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Church of the Resurrection (1057 Main Street, Hingham) at 10 AM on Tuesday, June 2. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Jill’s memory may be made to the Hingham Recreation/Jill A. Drohan Scholarship Fund, c/o Hingham Recreation Department 210 Central Street, Hingham, MA 02043.