Boyd Hilton, Fourth Generation Hilton Potter Dies At 76
The Catawba Valley pottery community mourns the loss of Boyd Robert Hilton, a fourth-generation master potter, who passed away peacefully at Frye Regional Medical Center on January 8, 2026. He was 76.
Affectionately known as BR or Bob to family and friends, Hilton died from complications of the flu. A resident of Newton, North Carolina, he was a proud torchbearer of the renowned Hilton pottery tradition, a family legacy of craftsmanship dating back to the 19th century.
His passing marks the end of an era for a lineage deeply rooted in the art of the potter’s wheel. For decades, Boyd Robert Hilton’s hands shaped the local red clay into both functional and artistic pieces, preserving the techniques and aesthetic passed down through his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His work carried forward the distinctive Hilton style, ensuring the family’s artistic signature remained vibrant for collectors and admirers.
The family will post details regarding memorial services in the coming weeks. He is remembered not only for his skilled hands and artistic contribution but as a steadfast link in an unbroken chain of American ceramic artistry. His legacy endures in every piece he created.
