Obituary of Frederick Walter Hemblilng Hill

FREDERICK WALTER HEMBLING HILL Born September 2, 1920, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 13, 2008 at his home in Regina, Saskatchewan. Third son of the late Walter A. Hill and Grace E. Hill, Mr. Hill was predeceased by his brothers, James, Edward and Robert; by his beloved wife Margaret "Shirley (Mulvihill) Hill; and most recently his daughter, Colleen Hill Smith. Mr. Hill leaves to cherish his memory his children, Paul (Carol) Hill, Regina, SK; Terrence Hill, Vancouver, BC; Daniel (Anne) Hill, England; and Marylyn (Jack) Horsman, Windfield, BC. He will also be remembered as their beloved Patriarch to his many grandchildren and great grandchildren, along with their families - Rosanne Hill Blaisdell, Shannon Hill, Matthew Hill, January Yanko, Kathryn Hill; James Hill, Conor Hill, Patrick Hill, Joseph Hill; Danielle Bears, Jonathon Horsman, Andrea Lefebvre, Stephen Horsman; and Mia Hill. He left us all a gift of Faith.that those who have lived in love, never see each other for the last time. Born in Regina, Fred attended Lakeview Public School, Campion High School, and the University of Saskatchewan (B.A.). While attending the Harvard Business School in 1942, Fred joined the US Army Air Force piloting B-17 Flying Fortress Bombers, serving in the 15th Air Force in Italy and the 8th Air Force in England. For unflinching service he received the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Air Medal with Three Oak Leaf Clusters. Upon graduating with distinction from Harvard with an MBA in 1947, Fred returned to his home province of Saskatchewan to join his father in The Hill Companies real estate and insurance business. He developed the first private residential sub-division in Saskatchewan (Hillsdale) since the 1920's. He also participated in the first light sweet crude discovery oil well in Creelman, Saskatchewan. Fred's entrepreneurial skill and business judgment were revered by all those who knew him. Subsequently he became a director of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Chairman and Director of Harvard Developments Inc. (A Hill Company), Harvard Energy (Calgary, AB), Western Surety Company, Harvard Investments Inc. (Phoenix, AZ), Harvard Broadcasting, and for years he considered it an honour to serve as a member of the Papal Foundation in Rome. A man of big stature, gifted with a laser intellect and a legendary humour, Fred enjoyed reminiscing and a rousing debate. He read voraciously, loved people to the extreme and was a fully involved citizen of our world. But in his quieter hours he practiced a private and direct empathy for the vulnerable amongst us. We heard him often sayit is far better to err on the side of generosity. He was a Christian profoundly dedicated to his Faith. Following the death of Msgr. Athol Murray (1976), and at the request of the Board of Regents, Fred picked up the torch from his life-long mentor "Pre, to carry on the work at Notre Dame College in Saskatchewan. From that point on, Fred maintained a life-long commitment to help young students achieve their total potential in mind, body and spirit at Notre Dame. In addition, he personally dedicated his time and resources to helping countless individuals from around the world to attain their educational and spiritual goals. Many of these people were entirely unknown to his family. He was passionately dedicated to supporting Catholic and numerous other charities. In the mid 80's he assisted Mother Teresa's work in Canada. Fred proudly became a member of the Order of Canada in 1986 and was also a recipient of the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the Canada 125 Medal, the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Cross of Merit Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Most recently he was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI. And now in the words of Grant Harvey eulogizing FDRthere will forever more be an empty place against the sky. The body will lie in repose at Holy Rosary Cathedral, 3125 13th Avenue, Regina, SK on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 from 7:00pm to 9:00pm for private prayers. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, July 17th at 11:00am at Holy Rosary Cathedral, 3125 13th Avenue, Regina, SK followed by a US Air Force Honour Guard ceremony at the Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, 815 Assiniboine Ave. E. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Speers Funeral Chapel. The Hill family has requested that all friends and colleagues wishing to celebrate Fred's memory make a donation to the Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, Box 100, Wilcox, Saskatchewan, S0G 5E0, c/o Mr. David Kenney. An online book of condolences may be signed at www.speersfuneralchapel.com