Earl R. Hill, 87, a former South Whidbey resident, died Jan. 20, 2004, in Richland after an extended illness.

He was born April 19, 1916, in Paris, Edgar County, Ill.

His father, Homer H. Hill, was a son of George E. Hill and Nancy Ann Graves, descendants of Capt. Thomas Graves of Jamestown, Va., a delegate to the First Assembly of Virginia in 1619.

Mr. Hill grew up in Paris, Ill., and on Dec. 25, 1936, he married June Frances Zimmerly at the Zimmerly home. The young family moved from Danville, Ill., to Richland in 1944, where he worked at the Hanford nuclear site for Du Pont, GE, and Douglas United Nuclear as a supervisor in reactor operations. He retired in 1978, and he and his wife moved to Whidbey Island to continue productive hobbies of fishing and gardening, and managing the water system for the Possession Shores community.

He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was active at various times in the Richland softball league for Village Foods, basketball, managing Little League for Cahoon Motors, Pasco Elks Lodge, was a 21-year member of South Whidbey Lions, served two terms as commodore of the Richland Yacht Club, and was an active member of Langley United Methodist Church and the South Whidbey Free Methodist Church.

With declining health, the couple returned to the Tri-Cities in 2000. He was preceded in death by his parents, Grace Lelah Reasor and Homer Herbert Hill; and a brother, Homer A. “Johnny” Hill.

In addition to his wife in Richland, he is survived by two sons and their children, E. Richard Hill and Dorothy, Richland, and grandchildren Traci Barela and Richard Hill, and John Michael Hill and Carolyn, Pasco, and grandchildren Maynard and Deran Hill and Michelle Young; a daughter, Shanna J. McVicker and Dave, Silverdale, and grandchildren Amanda Brooks, Daniel, Kela, Gabriel and Nathan McVicker; 15 great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Kathryn Sheehy and Ida Church, both in Paris, Ill.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Riverview Methodist Church, 4012 W. Court, Pasco, WA 99301.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials to Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice, 2108 W. Entiat Ave, Kennewick, WA 99336, Riverview Methodist Church, or the Neurological Center, 712 Swift Blvd. Suite 1, Richland, WA 99352.