WILLIAM JOHN (JACK) HILL

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

WILLIAM JOHN (JACK) HILL Having recently turned 81, Jack died suddenly in the early hours of July 31, 2012 at Victoria General Hospital. Jack is survived by Ruth, his loving wife of 55 years; his sons John and Glenn; grandchildren Hannah and Sophie; sister Terry Sveinson, brother Doug and his wife Audrey; nephews and nieces Ron, John, Pam, Jeff, Kevin, Brett and their respective spouses, partners and children. Jack was predeceased by his mother, Nellie; sister Vera Ford and with her husband, Raymond (Buster) Ford, and their daughter, Janice; sister Vivian Henderson and her husband, Ian; as well as Clarence Sveinson, Terry's beloved husband. Jack was born in Winnipeg and remained a resident of the city his entire life. He loved to reminisce about his younger years, growing up in the city's core, which was a different place back then. He loved to relate many colorful tales of the numerous houses, families and friends he encountered in the neighbourhoods where Nellie and her kids prospered while forming an enduring family bond. Jack loved to learn. During his high school years at Daniel McIntyre Collegiate, he developed a lifelong passion for basketball. After Daniel Mac, he studied arts at United College, leaving after a couple of years to accept a position in the sales department at Coca Cola, where he remained employed for 38 loyal and meritorious years. His career at Coke yielded many lifelong friends, far too many to mention. They worked together, and they played together, sometimes mixing that Coke they so proudly produced and sold with a small measure of rye. Jack retired at the age of 60 in 1991. In his retirement he loved to read and watch a little TV, especially a good movie. He loved to tend his flower garden, and his tomatoes, too. His little patch of planet Earth didn't go unnoticed. If you ever wanted to give directions to the homestead, you merely had to say, The place with all the flowers! He enjoyed golf outings with his gang; he loved to go for walks; he loved having a project that gave him a sense of purpose. He loved riding his bike, especially to garage sales. Who hasn't encountered Jack and Ruth on one of their long meandering rides? Or met them walking on one of their happy strolls, which often included a coffee and a muffin? He cherished his winters in Arizona, where he and Ruth loved to ride their bikes, shop for bargains, play a little golf, take in a movie, read a good book (and always the newspaper), and watch a little TV -- there's always a good movie on, or You wanna watch the basketball game with me? Cremation has already taken place. Instead of flowers or donations; please do something nice for someone. Jack would have wanted it that way. He lived a good life. He fought the good fight. He was a good man.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 04, 2012