J. Calvin Hill, Jr. age 66, of Canton, Ga., has passed away. Hill was a pioneering leader of the window film industry, a successful businessman, an elected State Representative to the Georgia General Assembly and friend to many.

As a successful window film and tools distributor, Hill served on the International Window Film Association as its president and helped to jump-start the organization in the 1980s by taking an active role in legislative affairs and in offering his leadership as needed for any task requested.

He was the founder and chief financial officer of G.D.I. Tools, an international distributor of specialized glazing tools and president of Gila Properties, Inc., a property development and management company. Previously as CEO of Gila Distributing, Inc., Calvin managed a large full-service window film distribution business in the Southeastern U.S. He led the formation of Cherokee Bank of Canton, where he served as a director; and founded Gila Properties, a property management company. Before his election to the legislature in 2003, he served two terms as the Mayor of Ball Ground, Ga.

When asked about getting into public service he said, “You have to learn to involve yourself in the community and be active before you get into politics.”

He was born in California and later moved to Arizona, where he attended Arizona State University and the University of Arizona. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps and was trained in engineering and demolition. He and his wife moved to Georgia in 1986.

Calvin was an active member of the Canton First United Methodist Church. His wife Cheryl Hill and seven children survive him.

In lieu of flowers, donations are to be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at or Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675. For funeral arrangements please see: http://darbyfuneralhome.com/obits/