Dad was born August 10, 1922 in Clay County, Kentucky. He moved to Hamilton, Ohio as a boy, and remained there until 2005 when he moved to Sarasota, Florida. There he remained until his death.

Dad joined the U.S. Navy during World War II, and was soon seeing heavy active duty in Australia on the USS Bonefish. After the war, he came back to Hamilton, where began working for General Motors Fisher Body. There he met and married his first wife, Josephine Yordy. They had 4 children, Jennifer, Rebecca, William and Richard.

That marriage ended after 10 years. Dad then started a new family in Hamilton with Ethel Walsh and her two children, Kathleen and John Walsh. Predeceasing Dad are his son, Bill, and granddaughter Allison Clayback, wife Ethel and step-son John Walsh. After Ethel's death, Dad moved to Sarasota, Florida, where his son, Richard Hill, and daughter KeiReea Suhli (f/k/a Rebecca Hill) lived. Through his son, Rick, Dad met and moved into the home of Angie Hall, where he lived for nearly 17 years until he died. Through Angie, he became great fan of cruising, which they did for many years. Dad also traveled to many more countries with his daughter Jennifer, step-daughter Kathy Walsh, son Richard, and daughter-in-law Martha Estrada Hill.

In 2022, Dad was interviewed for the World War II Veterans Museum. Here is a link to that video interview: https://www.ww2online.org/view/william-hill

Dad was a keen golfer. He and wife Ethel played throughout their marriage with friends in Ohio and Florida. They also belonged to a group of friends who traveled together in RVs, spending months in Indiana and Florida. When Bill and Ethel stopped traveling by RV, they spent their winters in their condo in Ft. Myers. Almost daily, Dad hopped into his fishing boat out back on the intercoastal waterway.

He was a also a life-long avid reader.

In honor of his 100th birthday on August 10, 2022, his children from both his first and second marriages celebrated with friends and extended family at the Bird Key Yacht Club. He laughed, he danced, he talked with everyone at the celebration. The Walsh contingent, who traveled from far and wide, stayed the next day where they met again with Dad and continued sharing their histories together.

Some four months later, Dad had surgery for a broken hip. He died after one day in hospice, on New Year's Eve, in the presence of daughter KeiReea.

Dad did not want a funeral or celebration of life. He wanted to be cremated and buried next to his wife, Ethel, in Hamilton, Ohio. Anyone moved to make a donation in his name may consider The World War II Veterans Museum.

Survived by: Children Jennifer Hill, KeiReea Suhli, Richard Hill, step-daughter Kathleen Walsh, daughter-in-law Martha Estrada Hill, cousin Howard Wilson and his wife Elaine.

-- Jennifer Hill

Posted online on January 17, 2023

Published in Sarasota Herald-Tribune