Chad Aaron Hill

Sunrise: August 5, 1985

Sunset: April 22, 2021

Chad Aaron Hill, native Tucsonan of “The 520” as he proudly proclaimed, was born on August 5, 1985, at Tucson Medical Center. Unlike his 2 older brothers who took hours of labor to enter the world, Chad shocked his mother and family, the attending nurse and the doctor who expected a long day. Always known for his speed from the day he was born, Chad got here in 7 hours and wasted no time making a name for himself.

When Chad was six months old, his mother received a phone call at work from a colleague from another client who asked, “Can I ask you a personal question?” “Sure.” “Are you Chad Hill’s mother?” (I’m thinking, “Who in the heck knows my six-month old baby that I don’t know?”) Turns out we shared the same babysitter and just didn’t realize we were the two who talked business on the phone several times a week who said hi dropping off our children at daycare! That’s Chad!

He was always independent. At 2, if I held his hand too tight in the mall or an amusement park, he’d pull away annoyed: “Mommy!” At the same time, the family joke was that he would tell his brothers quite seriously, “My Momma needs me.” Disgusted, Brandon would reply, “She needs ALL of us, Chad.” Chad would be quiet for a moment thinking about what Brandon said and finally respond, “Yeah, but she REALLY needs me.”

Chad was quite an athlete. He wore us out until we agreed to let him play Pop Warner. I worried all summer he was going to have a neck injury or be paralyzed. Three weeks before football started, he broke his elbow in two places -- playing basketball. That knocked him out of his first year playing football.

When he played in Pop Warner and would get tackled hard, he’d immediately pop up and lightly smack the tackler on the butt with a smile, a wink, and tell him “Nice hit.” As a small point guard, his favorite sport to play was basketball and in high school he became a starter. He loved the game and anyone who knew Chad knows he was the king of trash talk having learned from Brandon and Jared how to do it without getting caught by the refs!

People often ask why Brandon, Jared and Chad weren’t natural Arizona Wildcat fans like their crazy parents. When they were in elementary school, their Great-Aunt Helen Smith invited them to attend the Achievements Unlimited Basketball School in Greensboro which was put on by one of Michael Jordan’s best friends from University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, attorney Fred Whitfield. Achievements Unlimited adds an academic component to their camp with campers given a list of age-appropriate words for each player to look up in a dictionary, learn to spell, define and use in a sentence. Their daily word test scores were combined with their game scores through the week to name the MVP of the camp. Camp counselor/coaches were well-known NBA and marque Division 1 college players. At the end of camp, “The Greatest Pickup Game” was held at a local community college and only campers, their parents, the NBA/NCAA players and Michael Jordan himself played to the thrill of everyone in attendance.

Three straight summers, Sheri took first Brandon, then Jared, then Chad to the camp. Brandon became a Chicago Bulls fan and Jared and Chad North Carolina Tarheels. (Arizona didn’t have a chance. ļMea culpa!) Chad got 100% on his academic scores (all 3 did), but the player everyone thought would win the MVP didn’t study. Chad did, his team won all their games and Chad was named MVP.

School went by fast and before we knew it, he was graduating from high school and getting his first job at Albertson’s. His favorite job was at La Mesa Tortillas and oh could Chad make tortillas from scratch. He made the best charro beans.

Chad was 25 when his first child was born and his babies were the loves of his life: Dominic, Jaianna, Dez, Eliza, CJ and Leiliana. He took pictures with them constantly and we are forever blessed to have such wonderful memories. He had in effect 3 separate families and made sure to visit all of them. He was a busy man.

He loved hip hop (Chris Brown), country music (George Strait), and to our surprise as he pronounced it, “The Bee GEES.”

Sheri: “Chad, they’re the BEE Gees.”

Chad: “That’s what I said, ‘The Bee GEES.” “

Sheri: “No you said, ‘The Bee GEES.’ It’s ‘The BEE Gees.’”

He just frowned and his Mom let it go lol!

Chad was preceded in death by his grandfather Charles Edward “Papa” Farrington, his grandmother, Velma Jean “Nana” Farrington, grandmother Patricia Yvonne Horton, grandfather Walter Lee Hill, step-grandmother Lillian Hill, Uncle Wally Hill, Uncle Kay (Aunt Alvina) Jones, and a host of family angels waiting for him in Heaven; and, of course, his favorite superstar athlete whom he had seen play in high school, Kobe “The Kid” Bryant!

Chad was truly devastated by the untimely deaths of his beloved older siblings: His best friend and confidant Jared Dustin Hill (March 23, 2015) could have been his twin. They knew each other so well and were inseparable. Chad had been unable to reach his Big Bro “B” Brandon Bertold Barrow Hill (March 16, 2021) and was haunted by the way he found him. We are inconsolable losing Chad and have some comfort knowing he is reunited with the BJCs – his brothers. We will miss his brilliant smile and his love for his children.

Chad is survived by his loving dad, Wendell Leon Hill, his over-protective “Momma” Sheri Lynne Hill, his beloved Auntie Sondra Kaye Farrington, Aunt Helen “Hey Doll” Smith, Samantha Lopez, mother of his three children, Dominic Charles Hill (11), Jaianna Carmela Hill (10), Dez DeMarco Hill (7); Stephanie Vega, mother of his daughter Eliza Lynae Hill (5); Kaitlyn (Katie) Clemins, mother of Chad Aaron “CJ” Hill II (27 months), and Leiliana Rose Hill (18 months). He is also survived by his sisters-in-love Tierra Anderson and her sons (Jared’s children) twin nephews D’Angelo Hill and Kyson Hill (8), and Lisa Little and her daughter Olivia Little (12), Brandon’s family; Uncle Tony Hill, Sr., Uncle Marty (Eunice) Hill, Sr., his second cousin Tanya Jacobs-Miller Tammy," and cousins Jason, Chamika, Tony, Jr., Marty, Jr., and his beloved cousin Patricia and their families; and relatives across the country.

SERVICE

May 22, 2021

Jesse Owens Park

4:00pm

Vigil MUST RSVP Patricia Hill

May 24, 2021

East Lawn Palms Mortuary

8:30am-9:30am

Drive-by service

10:30am

Chapel service

Service will be livestreamed. The link will appear at 10:20am at http://eastlawnpalmsmortuary.com and later uploaded to the East Lawn Palms website.

12:30pm

Internment at Mausoleum

Although we will have a drive-by service where you can view Chad’s portrait (thank you Homicide Survivors), his urn, sign his Guest Book, drop off a sympathy card, and greet family members while staying safely in your car, due to the updated CDC guidelines, the East Lawn Mortuary and Cemetery is back to full capacity if you wish to attend the service. Masks are required.

There will not be a repast following the service as per CDC guidelines.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests one of the following:

* A donation to a fundraiser on Facebook for the 6 ChadKids who have lost their father

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=136185238531119&id=100005616375448

* CashApp $BJCforever (alternative to Facebook donation)

* Homicide Survivors, Inc, 2315 E. Speedway, Tucson AZ 85719

520-207-5012

hsi@azhomicidesurvivors

And in honor Chad’s Nana (Jeannie Farrington), please get vaccinated for COVID-19.