Edwin John Hill

Ed Hill passed away peacefully in his sleep on November 13, 2025, just three days
before his 83rd birthday.

Ed was born in Allen Grove, Wisconsin, on November 16, 1942, to Theodore and
Edna Hill. He grew up in Owatonna, Minnesota. He entered the United States
Army in 1960, beginning a distinguished 20-year military career. After enlisting, he
completed Officer Candidate School and served in combat in the Vietnam War
from 1968–1969, where he earned two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, and
achieved the rank of Captain. He subsequently had a company command in
Hawaii. In 1972 he and the family got stationed in Germany, where he worked in
Public Affairs. He attained fluency in German and served as a translator for the
Army. He was a photojournalist with Stars & Stripes until his retirement in 1980 at
the rank of Staff Sergeant.

During his time in Germany, he made good use of his command of German to
work with various local companies, doing translation for a publisher and conducting
guided tours all over Europe for American personnel with a German travel service.
Following his military service, Ed worked with CPT Corporation in training and
marketing in their German offices and developed innovative features for CPT’s
products. After returning to the stateside, he pursued several business ventures. A
man of varied interests and steady curiosity, he enjoyed music of nearly every
kind—country, 50s/60s rock and roll, classical, and bluegrass, and loved singing in
church choirs and gospel groups. He also had lifelong passions for writing and
photography; he contributed articles to many newspapers, magazines, and
newsletters during his life, and self-published a few short books. He was a camera
afficionado and developed his own prints for publication with his articles. He loved
camping, from tents to trailers to RVs, and often traveled across states to bluegrass
festivals. He flew small aircraft, earning his certification as a flight instructor in 1980
and flying actively through 1985.

Ed encountered Jesus as a teenager, and his faith matured and sustained him
through combat and enabled him to face all the hardships and challenges in his life
without anxiety. He was a member of North Phoenix Baptist Church since 2000,
where he found a loving community; he enjoyed teaching Bible studies and singing
with their worship team and took delight in learning Hebrew in the last couple
decades.

Ed married Carroll Alstad in 1965, and they were blessed with two children,
Michael and Suzanne. After they divorced, he married Catherine Sommer in 1981,
and they were blessed with three children: Nathan, Natalie, and Michelle. They
moved to Colorado in 1985, and then to Arizona in 1988, where he lived ever since.
It wasn’t until his 60s when he was able to open up about his combat experiences.
He wrote a document of lessons he had learned from that year. One of the most
important to him was that “My last words can come anytime.” He expressed the
importance of saying what you need to while you have the opportunity, because you
never know when the last chance will be.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Carroll; and his brother,
Ralph Hill. He is survived by his children—Michael, Suzanne, Nathan, Natalie, and
Michelle; his former wife, Cathy; nine grandsons and three granddaughters, two
great grandchildren; two sisters, a brother, as well as extended family and friends
who will remember him with love and gratitude.

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