Roy D. Hill

Obituary of

Roy Dewayne Hill

Roy was born September 21, 1934 in his grandmother’s home in McNairy County, Tennessee to Maggie Lena Johnson and Gilbert Guy Hill. His family of three brothers lived humbly on their parent’s small cotton farm outside of Bethel Springs where he learned a good work ethic which served him well throughout his working years. He attended Kirby Elementary School, a one room one teacher school for grades one through eight, which was about a mile walk through the woods. When he started the 9th grade, there was no bus service to the high school. He had to ride a mule three miles to the bus driver’s home. So, he decided to go back through the eighth grade to avoid this.

By the next year, the bus stopped by his house so he could attend Bethel Springs High School and graduated in 1953. Upon graduating, Roy went to Eureka, IL where he worked for Libby Canning Co. Then he returned to Tennessee to work for the Tennessee State Department of Forestry for the rest of that year and part of 1954. After that he worked three different jobs in Memphis; Lewis Supply Company as a shipping clerk, ED Goodfellow Air Conditioning Company on the assembly line, and Missouri Pacific Railway Company as a freight car repairman.

On March 6, 1957 Roy joined the United States Air Force. After basic training at Lackland AFB, Texas he went to Amarillo AFB, Texas for basic aircraft maintenance training. After graduation he was assigned to the 306th Field Maintenance Squadron at MacDill AFB, Florida where he helped maintain B-47E and KC-97 aircraft. In 1958 he had a four-month temporary duty, (TDY) to Spain. Then in 1960 he had a six-month TDY to Sheppard AFB, Texas for advanced aircraft maintenance school. After five years plus at MacDill he was reassigned to the 9th Field Maintenance Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho where he helped maintain the same type aircraft. After about eighteen months in Idaho, he was reassigned again to the 454th Field Maintenance Squadron at Columbus AFB, Mississippi and helped maintain B-52F, B52D, and KC-135A aircraft. In 1964 his unit was one of the first to go to Guam to start the bombing in Vietnam. The unit was TDY for four months, returned home for six months, then went back for another six months. During the war he had duty in Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Alaska, and Thailand. From 18 to 28 December 1972, he participated in the largest air operation in history under code name Linebacker II. This operation brought North Vietnam to the peace table and the war to an end and our POWs home.

Roy served a total of eleven years in the Western Pacific and South East Asia during and after the Vietnam war.

In 1978, he was selected for an assignment to the presidential fleet in Washington, DC. While Roy was waiting on his report date, President Carter was inaugurated and made some immediate changes that resulted in the cancellation of his assignment. He joked that Carter must have learned that he voted for the Republican. That turned out very well as Roy came back to Dyess AFB, Texas where he finished his second College degree at Abilene Christian University and retired with 28 years total military service.

In 1989 after retirement, he was recruited by Boeing Aircraft Company and went to Saudi Arabia to work with the Royal Saudi Air Force during Desert Storm. Then he returned to Texas where he became a member of the North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington and worked with the Civil Air Patrol, finishing 22 years membership with them. He was the commander of the local squadron for 12 years and flew many missions on the southern border from El Paso to Padre Island.

During his early Air Force career, he met and then married his first love Carole Patricia Reddy on September 30, 1960 at MacDill AFB, FL. They were married almost 50 years before she died of breast cancer in 2010.

Roy married his second love, Joyce Singleton, in 2011 enjoying 12 years with her.

He is preceded in death by Carole, both parents, and one brother, Johnnie Elbert Hill. He is survived by his second wife Joyce Singleton-Hill, two brothers, Homer Lee Hill and his wife Jo of Selmer, TN, and Billy Joe Hill of Henderson, TN; two children, Martin D. Hill of Arlington, TX and Mary K. O'Bannon of Kennedale, TX; step-daughters Tammy Robbins of Tyler, TX and Gina Roy of Edmond, OK; six grandchildren, Ethan and Jaden Gressett, Colby and Caroline Robbins, Alex and Logan Roy and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

He will be greatly missed by family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, the family ask that a donation be made to the American Diabetes Association in honor of Roy D. Hill.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.moore-funeralhome.com for the Hill family.