Ronald Lynn Hill

Ronald (Ron) L. Hill, LCDR, SC, USN (ret.) was born on March 26, 1946, along with his identical twin, Richard, to Leola (Franz) Hill and Richard Hill, in Kingsville, Texas. The Navy family lived in various places from Guam to Norfolk and many points in between, until settling in Austin, Texas, in 1958. Ron attended Fulmore Jr. High, Travis High School (class of 1964), and the University of Texas, Austin, where he received his bachelor’s degree in January 1968.

Ron, having served in the Naval Reserve since 1963, was commissioned as a Supply Corps officer in the Navy in August 1968. He spent twenty years in logistics positions aboard various ships in the western Pacific, as well as shore tours in Washington, D.C., Cleveland, OH, and San Diego, CA. He made two deployments to Vietnam during that conflict, and multiple Western Pacific and Indian Ocean deployments from Korea to Kuwait, serving aboard the hydrographic survey ship, Maury, the combat stores ship White Plains, the fleet oiler Ponchatoula, and the aircraft carrier Midway. Ron also served with Naval Support Force Antarctica, deploying to the Antarctic continent in support of National Science Foundation research, where he directed logistics operations for McMurdo, South Pole, and Siple Stations. As the project officer for the Soviet Union-American scientist exchange program, he visited the Soviet station at Vostok. During his career he received the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Navy Commendation Medals, Naval Reserve Meritorious Service Medal, and numerous theater medals for operations in Vietnam, Korea, Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and Antarctica. Upon retirement from the Navy and moving to Austin in 1988, Ron worked for almost 25 years in public education, serving as Administration Director for the Texas Association of School Boards and as Human Resources Director for Dripping Springs ISD.

After his Antarctic deployment, he met the love of his life in Los Angeles, Linda Kupelian of Waltham, Massachusetts. He proposed at the El Coyote Café in L.A., and they were married a few months later in Sherborn, Massachusetts, in July of 1975. The couple and subsequent children lived in various locations during the remainder of his Navy career. His son Ian was born in Honolulu, son Geoffrey was born in Washington, D.C., and daughter Heather was born in San Diego. The family also lived in Yokosuka, Japan, where Ron was stationed aboard the USS Midway. Ron was very engaged in his children’s activities, serving as a Little League Coach, PTA President at Kiker Elementary and Bailey Middle Schools in Austin, Vice-President of Austin City Council of PTA (Bowie High School), and was appointed by the Austin ISD Board to serve on citizens bond advisory boards. He loved being a dad and granddad, and enjoyed all the piano, orchestra, band, ballet, soccer, theater, and other activities of his children and grandchildren. Ron was active in his church, a lifelong member of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, and a member of several of its branch churches during his lifetime.

Ron is survived by his wife of 48 years, Linda; his children, Heather, her husband Luke, and son, Monty; Geoffrey and his wife, Margeaux; Ian, his wife, Carol, and children, Austin, Michael, Sierra, and Emma; and his brother, Richard, his wife, Tracey, and children Brad, Nathan, and Ahna.

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