Thomas Wilson Hill

Thomas Wilson "Red" Hill was born June 11, 1918 in Henderson, Rusk County, Texas. He was the son of Thomas Jefferson Hill, who died before he was born, and Laura Claudine Shockley. In 1920 he and his mother moved to Dallas, where she married again in 1923 and his two sisters were born.

While a teenager, he met Selma Lee McCree at Fernwood Baptist Church in Oak Cliff. They married August 23, 1936, in the midst of the Great Depression. Two daughters, Sylvia Jean and Patricia Ann, were born before the start of World War II.

During the first years of the war, he worked in Dallas area defense plants. In 1944 he joined the Navy, where he served on the transport ship U.S.S. Napa in the Pacific.

Returning to Dallas after the end of the war, he worked as a tool and die maker. A third daughter, Vicki Lynn, was born.

After spending weekends at Lake Whitney for several years, he and Selma decided to build their home there. Board by board, nail by nail, together they built the house they would live in for nearly 40 years until his declining health caused their move to Plano in 2011. In 1972 he went to work for the Santa Fe Railroad in Cleburne, where he worked until his retirement at age 65.

Thomas Hill was a Master Mason, a member of the Scottish Rite, and a member of Hella Temple Shrine. He served in the Hella Temple Drum and Bugle Corps for 25 years. In 2012 he proudly received recognition for 65 years' service as a Master Mason.

In addition to fishing on the lake, he enjoyed taking short trips in their motorhome around the state of Texas. He loved spending time with his tools and used the precision of his tool and die experience in every project that he crafted. He enjoyed gadgets of all types, even mastering the computer in his 80's.

In August, 2012, Thomas and Selma celebrated 76 years of marriage.

Thomas is survived by wife Selma McCree Hill, daughters Sylvia Jean Stanley, Patricia Ann Doliana, Vicki Hill Riedel (Michael), grandchildren Sheila Rai Allen, Ricky Glynn Stanley, Paul A. Stanley, David Douglas Brown, Teresa Doliana Miller, Carolyn Doliana Rothschild, Dina Doliana Marks, Joseph M. Doliana, Richard Ryan Riedel, Andrew Philip Riedel, 18 great grandchildren, 4 great great grandchildren, and two sisters Evelyn Correia and Dorothy Elaine Bohannon.

A visitation will be held on Sunday, December 2, 2012 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at Allen Family Funeral Options. Thomas' funeral will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 at Christ United Methodist Church 3101 Coit Road Plano, Texas 75075 and will be laid to rest at 2:00 PM at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy Dallas, Texas 75211.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to nonPareil Institue 5240 Tennyson Parkway Suite 105 Plano, Texas 75024 in Thomas' name.