January 7th, 1931 – April 28th, 2019
Ray Vernon Hill, 88, of the Oregon Slope, passed quietly to heaven on April 28th, surrounded by loving family and friends.
A more devoted husband and father, a finer friend, a more dedicated teacher, a more devoted Christian man you’ll never meet.
In his words: “I was born January 7,1931 at the Weiser General Hospital to Frank and Ruby Hill of the Oregon Slope Community. Mom and Dad already had a daughter, Anna , so I was the first son born into the union. I can remember exactly nothing of this event, or any event whatsoever of my life until I was about five, (I think.)” (He and Anna were later joined by brothers Glenn and Roger.)
He attended Jefferson Grade School on the Oregon Slope and graduated from Ontario High School in 1948. He attended Northwest Christian College, where he met the love of his life and his soulmate Jennie Porter. They were married by her father, the Rev. H.L. Porter on June 14th, 1952 in Hood River, Oregon. Four months later, he was drafted into the Army, and he went from Fort Lewis, Washington, to Camp San Luis Obispo for basic training, and then to Camp Gordon, near Augusta, GA. He and his fellow GI’s served as instructors for ROTC cadets summer camp, and assisted in reserve officer’s training. He didn’t know it at the time, but teaching suited him. Later he said he found teaching ROTC cadets was very much like teaching 5th and 6th graders.
After being honorably discharged in 1954, he and Jennie returned to Weiser, where he farmed and worked at Paul Roberts Garage as a lube and service man.
On Christmas Day, 1955, Ray and Jennie were blessed with a baby boy, Ken, and in 1956, they built their home on the Oregon Slope.
In September of 1960, they were blessed with a baby girl, Jeannine, and a few years later, Ray decided farming and auto work weren’t for him, so he attended night school at the new Treasure Valley Community College, and graduated in June of 1965.
In September of 1965, the Hills moved to Hood River, and Ray attended Portland State University, and received a teaching degree in 1967. Later that year, he began teaching 5th grade in Hood River, where he worked until 1970, when he got a job at Annex School, and the family moved back to the Oregon Slope. He taught at Annex for the next 25 years, until his retirement in 1995.
Ray had many hobbies, including photography, shooting, stamp and coin collecting, gardening, but his favorite passtime was crossword puzzles. (He always had a clipboard filled with the daily crosswords, and even when he wasn’t brandishing his clipboard, he always had at least one pencil handy, in case a crossword puzzle broke out.)
Ray and Jennie have been longtime members of Weiser Christian Church, where Ray long served as an elder, and Jennie as a deaconess. Their love, their faith and their devotion to God and church permeates every square inch of the building and its congregation.
He is preceded in death by his sister Anna Pfefferle, brother-in-law Robert Pfefferle; sisters-in-law Myrah Hill, Ruth Hill and Dorothy Spier; and nephews Stephen Hastings and Steven Hill He is survived by his wife Jennie Hill of the Oregon Slope; brothers Glenn, of the Oregon Slope and Roger, of Payette; his son Ken and his wife Jana of Weiser; his daughter, Jeannine Carter and her husband Craig of Ontario; grandson Jeff Hill, his wife Katy and their son Davis Ray, (Ray’s great grandson) of Redmond; brother in law, Bob Spier of Troutdale; sister-in law Olivemay Stockwell of Seaside, and numerous nephews and nieces.
His family would like to thank Canyon Hospice and the Cottages Assisted Living Facility in Payette. Your love and care are appreciated more than you can ever know.
Funeral will be 11 AM Saturday May 4 at Weiser Christian Church, followed by graveside service at Fairview Cemetery on the Oregon Slope. Memorials can be made to Weiser Christian Church and Canyon Hospice.
