Aug. 31, 1939-April 8, 2024
Donald B. Hill, age 84, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2024, surrounded by his family. He was born on Aug. 31, 1939, to Charles Hill and Bernice Hodgman Hill in Inglewood, California, and was the older brother of Lora Lee and Kenny. Don grew up in El Segundo, California, near the beach, where he loved swimming, fishing and playing volleyball. He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at age 18 and served a mission to South Korea. He attended BYU, where he met his first wife Carol Judd. He moved to St. George (Red Cliffs Manor) in 2005 to live near his mother before she passed away.
Don loved the mountains and wanted to raise his family here in Utah. His six children all have fond memories of camping, fishing, swimming, roller skating and playing a variety of sports together with their dad. He also loved music and enjoyed playing the cello and guitar in his earlier years and Alexa in his later years. Don was a carpenter by trade and loved working with wood and tools. He enjoyed (and could not be dissuaded from) his regular trips to the Deseret Industries. (We hope his friends at Red Cliffs will enjoy the collection he left behind!)
Everyone who knows Don knows he had a passion for doing genealogy research and family history. It was a tender mercy that he was able to attend the Red Cliffs Temple shortly before he passed. We know he was joyfully welcomed back to his heavenly home by Jesus and all those ancestors he blessed by bringing them the blessings of the gospel.
He will be missed by his six children and 21 grandchildren: daughter Kim Atkinson (Scott Atkinson) of Mountain View, California, daughter Erika Rand (Ben Rand) of West Jordan, Utah, son Brent Hill (Shontae Hill), son Lance Hill, daughter Dawnetta Mahnken (Sean Mahnken), and daughter Pennie Wilson (Kyle Wilson); grandchildren Jenna, Nathan, and Braeden Atkinson, Casey, Jordan, Emelie, and Orion Rand, Grayson and Finley Hill, Alec Colman, Madison, Roman, Kordell, and Damian Hill, Katelyn, Rayna, and Aryssa Mahnken, and Allie, Terran, Saria, Spencer and Cynthia Rumsey. Don is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Lora Lee Smith. We hope his brother Ken Hill is well and would love to hear from him.
Our family would like to thank the dedicated nurses and staff at Red Cliffs Health and Rehab (his home since April 2020) as well as the kind hospice nurses, who eased his passing. He had many dear friends at the care facility and branch.
A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 14, at Red Cliffs Care facility at 11 a.m. His children and grandchildren will have a private memorial in the mountains he loved later this summer. There will be no viewing or interment as per his wishes. In lieu of flowers, do something nice for someone in need or do some family history as you remember Don.