Obituary: Hill, Eugene Fred
(Age 96)
Eugene Fred Hill, age 96, and a World War ll veteran of Spokane, peacefully passed away in Yakima, WA on September 1, 2012.
Mr. Hill, the son of Fred and Maude Hill, was born in Colorado and moved to Spokane at a very young age.
He graduated from Lewis and Clark High School in 1933 and served in the U.S. Army in 1945 and 1946, attaining the rank of Corporal.
Eugene willingly responded to his call for service in the army, even though he was employed in an exempt industry, the railroad.
He was employed by the Northern Pacific Railroad as a carman and as an additional duty, became the cook for the railroad wrecker crews.
He was well known by the crews, family and friends as a “cook extraordinaire”.
Eugene married Marie Wilks after high school and the union produced two sons, Jerry and Bob.
The marriage ended in divorce in 1957.
Mr.
Hill was a Life Member of the Spokane Eagles Aerie #2, having served as its President in 1953 - 1954.
He had over 70 years service with the organization which was at one time the largest Eagles lodge in the world.
In 1964, Mr. Hill married Grace Tierney in Asotin, WA and enjoyed many years of happy marriage until her death in 1989.
Eugene retired from the railroad in 1973 and pursued many hobbies, including hunting (got his elk 8 years in a row from the same stump), fishing, rock hounding, jewelry making.
He especially enjoyed traveling with his wife Grace and snow birding in Kingman, AZ from 1973 to 2004.
Mr.
Hill was preceded in death by his parents Fred and Maude Hill, wife Marie, wife Grace, sons Jerry Hill and Bob Hill, brothers Melvin Everett, Orval Frances and Roy Marion, sisters Pauline (Hill) Barnhart, Phyllis (Hill) Bolender, grandson Brian Peterson, and great-grandson Seth Blankenship.
He is survived by his step-son John H. Tierney (wife Fran), step-daughter Barbara Lundquist (husband Lynn), sisters Marion (Bob) Towne and Marie McDevitt, and grandchildren Mark Hill, Jeff Hill, Jim Hill, Angi Deerey, Terese Markee, Vicki Nestor, Randy Loveland, Kurt Loveland, John C. Tierney, Carolee Hall, Barbi Root, Bob Lundquist, Brenda Blankenship, Brad Peterson and numerous great-grandchildren.
Services will be held Monday, September 10, 2012 at 10 AM, at Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home, 1306 N. Monroe, Spokane, WA.