John R. Hill

John Richard Hill 1935 – 2017 On Thursday August 31, 2017 John R. Hill passed away in his home at the age of 82. John was born in San Angelo, TX on February 14, 1935 as the second son of Giles and Nadine Hill. In 1953, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the US Marine Corps to serve during the Korean War, which abruptly ended later that year. After his short stint in the Marines, he moved back to Sonora, where he worked in construction, was a truck driver and a ranch hand. John married the love of his life, Nancy Meridyth Briggs on February 14, 1964 after meeting her at the Dairy Mart in Sonora just 10 months prior. Soon after they married, John started working for the Continental Oil Company. Over the next decade he worked and traveled worldwide for numerous oil and gas companies. Eventually, in 1975, he accepted a job with Haliburton Resource Management, where he worked as a District Superintendent for 17 years. In 1979, he and the family relocated to Pampa, TX where they lived until John retired from Haliburton in 1992. Apparently, John’s idea of retirement was NOT playing golf and napping, so he and Nancy immediately bought and operated the “Hills Nut Farm” in Menard, TX from 1992 – 2005. After selling the pecan farm in 2005 they moved back to his “beloved” Sonora where he actually did retire. Although John spent much of his time working, he always made time to spend with his family. He especially enjoyed taking Nancy and the kids to visit extended family in San Angelo, Sonora and Colorado, telling family stories and playing dominos. He couldn’t have been more proud of his children and grandchildren. John was also an avid football fan and followed the Dallas Cowboys and University of Texas throughout his life. John is preceded in death by his parents Giles and Nadine Hill, his brother Horace Hill, his half-brother Jim Bailey, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He is survived by his loving wife Nancy, son John Clayton Hill and his wife Elizabeth and children Joshua and Andrew; daughter Mary Beth Barrington, her husband Kenny and children Dalton and Dylan; daughter Holly Lynn DeBoer, her husband John and children Daniel and Samuel. John “The People’s Choice” Hill will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved him!