Robert Thomas Hill

Robert T. Hill 1923 - 2011

Robert T. Hill, our Superman, is gone. Able to squish bugs in his bare hands, talk to cats a€" even lions at the zoo! a€" and get them to answer, and charm every waitress he ever met, another of the Greatest Generation has slipped away, and we are all the richer for having known him.

Robert Thomas "Bob" Hill, 88, of Layton, our Superman, passed away peacefully at home on Tuesday, December 13, 2011, surrounded by his loving family. He was born May 22, 1923, in Ogden, Utah, to Harriett "Hattie" Ann Horspool and Peter Leeds Coupler. His early childhood was a humble one, with his older half-brother, Raymond C. Hill, fulfilling the role of father. He enjoyed playing marbles, boxing (for money, of course!), target shooting (with the gun his brother bought him for honoring his promise to never take up smoking), playing baseball (semi-pro!), roller-skating, and all other sports.

Although they were both graduates of Ogden High School, it was while roller-skating at the Berthana that Bob met the love of his life, Jean Melva Thompson. They were married in Farmington, Utah, on February 17, 1943, and honeymooned in Norman, Oklahoma, where Bob attended basic training with the US Navy as part of the efforts of World War II. After Oklahoma, Bob made a brief trip home to Utah before being stationed in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor. He was a character, and spent his fair share of time over there "painting rocks," as he put it! He was honorably discharged after the war and returned back home to Utah and to Jean in 1945.

Once safely home again, Bob went to work as a civilian at Hill Air Force Base and quickly rose through the ranks, enjoying many overseas trips going "TDY" as part of his duties. He retired from the base in 1980 as Chief of the Aerospace Ground Equipment Division.

Bob was an avid bird hunter and fisherman for much of his life, enjoying pheasant hunting with his Irish setters and fishing for trout and salmon all over Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming with friends from the Navy, friends from work, his brother, brothers-in-law, sons-in-law, and later, his grandsons.

He and Jean were avid sports fans and especially enjoyed Weber State football and basketball, and were members of the Wildcat Club for many, many years. Bob coached church and city league adult and All-Star basketball teams to league championships, and enjoyed attending all of his grandsons'' little league baseball, basketball, and soccer games. You always knew when Grandpa Bob was in the stands. A snappy dresser, he was the epitome of a "sharp-dressed man." Bob was never seen anywhere without immaculately pressed trousers, a colorful shirt or sweater, polished shoes, and his trademark fedora hat. He always had a comb in his pocket a€" for both his hair, and his moustache!

Bob truly was a "man''s man." Despite this, though, he was not above allowing his little granddaughters to climb up on his shoulders and put pigtails in what hair was left on his balding head as they watched football together on a Sunday afternoon.

He sang or whistled almost everywhere he went, and he taught his children to love music because of it. A gifted conversationalist (a talent that served him well during his years as a bartender and bouncer at the bar at Lagoon), he could strike up a conversation with anyone. People everywhere fell victim to Bob''s charm a€" his deep voice and sense of humor made you feel instantly at ease. If a sharply-dressed gentleman wearing a dapper hat, with a neatly trimmed mustache, asked how you were doing, and if you responded with, "Pretty good," and then that man said, "Pretty'' and ''good'' a€" you can''t beat that!" a€" well, that was probably Grandpa Bob!

Bob and Jean loved to travel and took many family trips and vacations with their four daughters, Pegge, Jeri, Jolene, and Lori, and Bob''s sister and brother-in-law, Grace and LeRoy Marriott. As their family grew by adding sons-in-law, and grandchildren, Bob and Jean continued to travel anywhere and everywhere and the more family they could take with them, the happier they were. Many good times were had on hunting trips, fishing trips, at Lake Powell, on cook-outs "up the canyon," and on road trips to Yellowstone, California, and many other places.

On September 17, 1992, Jean passed away, leaving Bob on his own after nearly a half-century together. It took him awhile to bounce back, but he was able to move on to more adventures and when great-grandchildren were added, Bob continued the tradition of family trips, revisiting old favorites and including cruises, trips to Bear Lake, Canada, Wendover, Elko... it didn''t matter, as long as he had family with him a€" the more, the better. Reservations for 50 and 10-car caravans were not uncommon!

Bob was a dedicated gardener and had beautiful yards in every home he lived in, and he earned his Master Gardener certification after his retirement. His roses, especially, were spectacular, as were his geraniums, which he took pride in over-wintering every year and replanting in the spring. In his later years he especially enjoyed his water garden and koi pond, spending many relaxing evenings listening to the waterfall and watching his fish.

He was most proud, however, of his family. Nothing brought him greater pleasure than to be among his daughters, their spouses, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Whether it was celebrating a holiday or a birthday at the park, or going out for Sunday breakfast, "Grandpa Bob" was elated whenever anyone would compliment him on his loving, closely-knit family.

He is survived by his children Pegge and Lynn Ure, Jeri and Dennis Thompson, Jolene and Craig Berry, and Lori Hill; and by his grandchildren: Joi Lin and Kirk Olsen, Robert and Dana Ure, Lynn Jr. and Autumn Ure, Jeff and Mindi Fletcher, Kim Whitesides and fiancAC. Matt Pilkington, Krystal and Derek Bell, Wendy and Will Phillips, Jill and Eric Westbroek, Brandon and Katie Berry, Justin and Wendy Berry, Mike and Alyssa Smith Foster, Joe and Kaitlin Smith Foster, Hillori Smith, and Tara Smith; and by his great-grandchildren: Cydanie Allen, Bretten Allen, Mychael Allen, Anabelle Ure, Maryjane Ure, Kelsee Ure, Brylee Ure, Tavish Ure, Lyndee Ure, Lily Fletcher, Jack Fletcher, Jane Fletcher, Kate Fletcher, Logan Whitesides, Ava Whitesides, Lincoln Bell, Amelia Bell, Kylie Berry, Brock Berry, Zach Berry, Aiden Foster, and Blake Foster, with one additional great-granddaughter due February 12, 2012. He is also survived by his loving companion of the last several years, Bettie Taylor.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife of 49-and-a-half years, Jean Melva Thompson, and an infant son, Robert "Bobby" Dee Hill, by his parents, Harriett "Hattie" Horspool and Peter Leeds Coupler, by his brother, Raymond C. Hill, and his sisters Murel (Hill) Wagner and Grace (Coupler) Marriott, and by a special friend, Francis Barber.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. at Lindquist''s Ogden Mortuary, 3408 Washington Boulevard. Friends may visit family from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. at the mortuary. Interment with military honors, Lindquist''s Washington Heights Memorial Park, 4500 Washington Blvd.

The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude for the excellent care extended to Bob over the last year by "our boys," his hospice friends, Ryan, Dave, and Dave. Quite simply, we could not have made it through this journey without your support, guidance, and yes, love.

Bob was a pretty good guy. Pretty and good. You can''t beat that.

Send condolences to the family at: www.lindquistmortuary.com