Helen "Micki" Hill

Helen "Micki" Hill was born Sept. 19, 1937, in Oakland, Calif., to Benedict and Helen McNally. She and her three siblings were raised in the San Francisco Bay area by their strong Irish father and American mother. Micki died Friday, Aug. 28, 2020, in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Micki spent all of her childhood years in Northern California and graduated from Clearlake High School. In 1954, she met her one true love, Jim Hill. They were married Nov. 10, 1956, in Reno, Nev. As a young couple, they regularly moved across the western United States since Jim worked as a project engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad. Together, Jim and Micki raised their three children primarily in Clarkston. Because of the family's nomadic lifestyle, Micki worked in a variety of industries throughout her life. She held positions ranging from a photo booth operator to a gas station manager, and a bank teller to a physical education teacher. One of her most noteworthy occupations was serving as a park ranger with the National Park Service at Fort Vancouver in Washington state. Micki loved this job because she was afforded the opportunity to share in the fort's history with the many visitors that came to this historic site each day. Wherever the Hill family was living in the United States, two of Micki's commitments remained constant; she was determined to be a loving wife to her husband and supportive mother to her children. After retirement, Micky and Jim became devout travelers. Together, they embarked on dozens of domestic and international voyages, both by land and by sea. Micki especially appreciated traveling to central Europe and the Far East. When they found themselves at home in Lake Havasu City, Micki valued spending time with her close girlfriends and family. She also took great pride in being a voracious reader which, in turn, made her the undisputed Scrabble and Jeopardy champion of the family. Micki spent many years of her adult life volunteering at hospitals and with the Salvation Army during the Christmas season. She found true gratification when providing assistance to people who were in need. Given that she survived breast cancer twice, Micki's physical and mental resilience will never be forgotten by those who were near to her. Above all else, Micki will be remembered for her contagious laugh, vibrant smile and ability to become friends with anyone. Micki was preceded in death by her father and mother, two brothers and son-in-law. She is survived by her husband, Jim Hill; Sister Kathy Sabine; daughters Constance "Sam" Claassen and Julia Hill; son Thomas Hill; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations are made to your local cancer society. Micki is interned at the Lake Havasu memorial Gardens in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.