Aldean Hilton

Aldean Johnson Hilton

1926-2020

Aldean Johnson Hilton was born June 28, 1926, the daughter of Moroni and Jetta Johnson. She grew up in Salt Lake City and graduated from East High School in 1943.

During World War II, Aldean did her best Rosie the Riveter impression by working as a secretary at Hill Air Force Base.

Afterwards, Aldean found a job as a receptionist at Gillham Advertising. It was a perfect fit for her beautiful smile, her gift for making people feel welcome, and her always-sunny disposition. She also never met a conversation she wasn’t thrilled to engage in. It was during this time that Aldean met the love of her life, Jack Hilton, whom she married on February 9, 1963.

Among their many activities, Jack and Aldean would go to the Town House Social Club and/or The Rainbow Randevu almost every Saturday night with their group of friends, twist the night away to Sam Cooke, and shut the place down.

They shared 43 blissful years together until his death on December 22, 2006.

Throughout her life, Aldean had a passion for music, particularly the tin-pan alley crooners like Frank Sinatra. She herself was a very talented singer. She spent 5 years as the frontwoman for a band, and even cut a record that, unfortunately, didn’t make any billboard charts [but it should have].

She also loved tending her garden and spent countless hours outside in the summer, without sunscreen, much to the chagrin of her physician granddaughter. Aldean’s garden was always the toast of the neighborhood and likely the secret envy of her neighbors.

Her hobbies also included entertaining (which included setting the table several days in advance), volunteering at the University of Utah Hospital, ushering at the Pioneer Theatre, as well as vigorous walking at a jogger’s pace. She even picked up the moniker “The Walker” amongst friends.

Aldean was a fantastic mother and grandmother, and loved doting on her grandchildren. She rarely missed a baseball game for Mike or a dance recital for Becki, in the process picking up another appropriate nickname: “Grandma Taxi.” Often bringing the same no-nonsense attitude of an old-school New York City cabbie, minus the swearing and honking [most of the time].

Aldean was diagnosed with dementia in 2005. She spent time in Memory Care at Sunrise at Holladay as well as St. Joseph Villa in Sugarhouse until she passed away peacefully in her sleep on October 11, 2020. The family is eternally grateful to both Sunrise and St. Joseph Villa for their excellent care of Aldean during her respective stays.

Aldean is survived by her children: Greg (Ignacio) Hilton, Kris Burton, Sandy (Tom) Trammel. Grandchildren: Rebecca (Cedric) Burton-Yau, Michael (Heidi) Burton, Ron (Anda) Sage, Keith (Margaux) Trammel, Matt (Marla) Trammel, and Nathan (Cherrish) Trammel, her sister in law

Bonnie Rockwood and her niece Maggie Siegel.  She was preceded in death by her husband, parents, sister, brother in law, niece and son in law.

A small private service was held on Saturday, October 17, 2020 and Aldean was placed alongside her beloved Jack, her sister Marian, Uncle Mel, both of her parents, and her niece Marian.

The family is planning a celebration of life next spring or summer, contingent upon Coronavirus restrictions, which would certainly be to Aldean’s liking…as long as the playlist includes plenty of Old Blue Eyes!

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Alzheimer’s Universe (https://www.alzu.org/donate/) which is a non-profit focused on Alzheimer’s prevention research.  Care has been entrusted to Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary.