Hilary Dawson (Laytham) Vice

Hilary Dawson Vice (née Laytham), 52 of Annapolis, a devoted mother, wife, sister and friend, died Sunday, November 4, 2018.

Born in Arlington, Virginia, on August 29, 1966, she was the eldest child of Janet White and John Laytham (Ginger Idol) along with her younger brother, Gibb (Eliana).  Hilary attended the alternative arts high school, H-B Woodlawn in Arlington, an early indicator of her life-long appreciation for the arts and those of diverse backgrounds.  

Hilary received a BA in history from the University of Virginia. As a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, Hilary held the position of Chapter Relations, where she was responsible for the emotional well-being of the of the women of the chapter, a role she would continue to fill in her wide-ranging circle of family and friends throughout her life. 

Hilary began her career planning events for the prestigious American Enterprise Institute think tank in Washington, D.C., in 1988.  Her work with the scholars there reinforced her interest in political discourse and caring for the world and its people. 

Her lifelong association with her father’s restaurants, Clyde’s Restaurant Group of Washington, D.C., instilled in her an appreciation for good food and caring for those you love through cooking. Hilary was a warm and generous hostess and taught many of her young friends to cook as well as the art of entertaining. 

Hilary left Washington, D.C., to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, in 1998, where she received an MBA focused in Marketing and Health Services Management from the Kellogg School of Management.

She began her marketing career with Johnson & Johnson outside Princeton, New Jersey, in 1997, first as a Product Manager and later as a Product Director working on such iconic brands as Band Aid, Playtex and Aveeno. 

Hilary married the self-proclaimed love of her life Steven Vice in Washington, D.C., in September 2002.  The couple settled in Annapolis, Maryland, where Hilary continued her work with Johnson & Johnson as an Executive Sales Specialist and where Steve and Hilary welcomed and raised their two beautiful daughters Julia and Olivia. 

Hilary had a keen eye and love of photography with a talent for capturing nuance and detail. Hilary had a particular love of the water and was known to hop on a bicycle at the break of dawn on her beloved island of Nantucket to photograph the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean or share photos on social media of sunsets over the South River from her home. 

She had a strong appreciation for art – she and Steve were avid collectors – an appreciation handed down from her father and mirrored by her brother. Hilary was also a voracious reader, had wide-ranging taste in music and loved to dance.

Above all of her interests, Hilary’s true passions were her family and friends.  She was an adoring and caring mother to her girls and wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by the ones she loved.  Hilary and Steve vacationed each year with both of their mothers as well as Hilary’s father and stepmother, and holidays were spent with everyone together, usually at their home. She was thrilled when her brother ended his global pursuits to settle and raise a family outside of Washington and was encouraging her mother to move closer to her in Annapolis.  She had a gift for empathy and kindness in reaching out to others in times of need.  She was the epitome of “Chapter Relations” throughout her life.  Her spirit and warmth will be dearly missed. The world feels a lonelier place without Hilary watching out for us.

A funeral service will be held at Saint Martin’s Lutheran Church, 1120 Spa Road, Annapolis, Maryland 21403 on Saturday, November 17th at 11:00 am.  Please join the family to celebrate Hilary’s life in the adjoining Fellowship Hall immediately following the service. 

In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the Lung Cancer Research Foundation at http://www.lungcancerresearchfoundation.org/support-us/give-in-tribute

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