Robert Hill

Waynesville - Robert H. "Bob" Hill, 88, of Winslow Road, passed away on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at MedWest Haywood. The son of William and Mary Houghtaling Hill, Bob was born in Des Moines, Iowa. He grew up in Oskaloosa, Iowa, playing in the city band from the time he was a young boy through high school. His love of band music was a passion throughout his life. After high school, he moved to California and became an inspector for Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, after which he enlisted in the Army Air Corps during WWII and was assigned to the 401st bomber squadron of the Eighth Air Force. He twice turned down stateside duty assignments and cheated on his eye exam so he could enter service in the Air Corps. During training, he and his crew inadvertently took part in the infamous bombing of Boise City, Oklahoma's town square. Stationed in Deanthorpe, England, Bob was assigned to the crew of "Fancy Nancy IV", and as the radio operator, he flew a total of 37 missions over Germany in a B-17. After the war, Bob attended Colorado State College in Greeley, Colorado, where he met and married his wife, Elaine. Employed by Remington Rand, he was named national typewriter salesman. In 1961, Bob moved with his family to Wichita, Kansas and he established Wichita Office Equipment, Inc. where he worked until retirement. He was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church, served as president of the Deaf and Hard-of-hearing Association, was a member of Toastmasters, Ducks Unlimited, the Sensoney Band, was on the Boy Scout Council, obtained his ham radio operator license, and was a certified pie judge. In his mid-seventies, Bob completed conducting classes at Wichita State University. Upon moving to Haywood County in 2001, he founded the Haywood Community Band which he conducted until his health would no longer allow it. Bob adored his family, loved his friends, and never knew a stranger. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Elaine Forrest Hill; three daughters, Robin Macha (Ken) of Houston, Texas, Lynette Carmelli (Sam) of Edgewater, New Jersey, and Elizabeth Reitz (Eric) of Waynesville; two sons, Robert Hill II (Debra) of Belleville, Illinois, and John Hill of Wichita, Kansas; one sister, Elizabeth Arnold of Arcadia, California; one brother, Dan Hill (Bonnie) of West Des Moines, Iowa; seven grandchildren, Cristina Reitz-Krueger (Andrew), Jonathan Carmelli, Lindsey Bullen (Nathan), Eran Carmelli, Eric (Drew) Reitz, and Austin and Kaitlyn Hill. A celebration of life service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, 2011 in the Waynesville Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the Reverend Arlene Lukas officiating. Military services will be conducted by VFW Post 5202 and American Legion Post 47. The family will receive friends following the services at the funeral home, and interment will be held at Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery at a later date. Memorials may be made to: The Haywood County Band or The Haywood County Bandstand Fund c/o P.O. Box 491, Hazelwood, N.C. 28738, Attn: Rhonda Wilson Kram.

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