Ronald Jay Hill

Ronald Jay Hill was born in Richmond, California. He attended multiple high schools as his parents moved to different towns across the central valley. He graduated from Porterville Union High School. He attended Bakersfield College where he met the love of his life, Charlotte, at a dance after a football game. They married and began raising a family.

Ron joined the Coast Guard Reserve and worked as a lineman for Pacific Gas and Electric. He later became a fireman for the Kern County Fire Department. After ten years with the fire department, he left to start a small business. Over the years, Ron and Charlotte opened three convenience stores. Ron was generous to his employees as evident in their wages and helping them when life circumstances were difficult.

During his years in the convenience stores, Ron had a group of friends with whom he would play golf. He enjoyed these friendships, the 19th hole and the dice games. This group of friends often traveled on vacation together, sparking his desire to travel more. He and Charlotte went on 24 cruises. Their favorite trip was to Asia.

Ron's most enjoyable job description came after retirement in his fifties and that was “Grandpa!” He and Charlotte moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, to follow their grandsons. When the grandsons were little, he could be found rolling around on the ground playing with them, even changing diapers. As they got older, he took time to teach the boys about whatever project he was working on around the yard, home, or automobile. Surprisingly, he was also the grandpa that grabbed the whipped cream out of the fridge and sprayed it into the grandsons' mouths. The strict father became a more lenient grandfather. Watching the grandsons become young men brought him much pride.

He will be remembered every time the song “Happy Birthday” is sung for his special rendition (singing off-key), and when family pictures are taken, as he had a special saying for “Say cheese”.

Ron passed away peacefully at home from kidney cancer. His quick wit and humor will be missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William Joseph and Dorothy Jean Hill.

Ron is survived by his loving wife of sixty years, Charlotte Hill; son, Craig (Jennifer) Hill; daughter, Annette Hill; four grandsons, Trevor (Kayla) McCubbin, Joshua McCubbin, Tyler McCubbin, and Nathan McCubbin; sister, Denise Keiffer; brother, David Hill; and numerous nephews and nieces.

Per his request, services were private.