Ray Hill
Raymond Chester Hill, 89, died Sept. 21, 2008, at the Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles
He was born Aug. 4, 1919, in The Dalles, to Chester and Griselda (Pridham) Hill.
Ray lived in The Dalles until 1920, when his family moved to Goldendale. He graduated from Goldendale High School in 1936, then from Washington State College (now Washington State University) in 1940. On Dec. 20, 1940, he married Helen Willis. Ray enlisted in the Army Air Force on Aug. 29, 1942, in the Army Air Corps Glider Service. He served as a Tech Sergeant for the 370th Bomb Squadron in the South Pacific during World War II. He flew 43 combat missions. He was awarded an Air Medal on three separate occasions, the Asiatic/Pacific Campaign Medal and a World War II Victory Medal. Ray received an honorable discharge from military service on June 16, 1945.
After the war, he farmed with his father and brother.
Ray was very active in the community and was a member of many fraternal organizations including the Masonic Lodge, Masada Shriners, the Order of Eastern Star, the American Legion and the Washington State Grange. He served as State Master of the Grange from 1983 to 1989. He was a lifetime member of Goldendale Grange 49.
Ray belonged to the Goldendale Methodist Church and served as a Klickitat Valley Grain Growers board member and was on the Goldendale School Board. Besides these community activities, he had many hobbies that kept him busy.
Ray enjoyed woodworking, flying, mountain climbing, gardening, and collecting old tractors.
Survivors include his wife, Helen, 68 years; three children, Lynn Wanless, Ken Hill and Jim Hill; brother, Harold Hill; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 11, at the United Methodist Church in Goldendale.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Goldendale Grange 49 Scholarship Fund, Masada Shriner’s Hospital of Spokane, or the Goldendale United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund.
|
