February 25, 1906 - May 30, 2007
Sonora resident Thomas Jensen Hill died May 30 at home. He was 101.
He was born in Oakland, California to Thomas and Anna Hill, and lived in the Bay Area until 2003 when he moved to Sonora. He graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1928 with a major in Commerce. He then went to work for Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco, retiring after 42 years.
His avocation was music. He studied piano with Mrs. Prentiss in San Francisco for many years, taking the ferry across the Bay twice a week for his lessons. At Berkeley he sang in the Glee Club, and later sang for many years with the Oakland Orpheus. In recent years he would often come up with a song, appropriate to the occasion, that he had learned as a child or in school.
For many years, he and his wife hosted a children's Friday night Bible club in their garage. He was also instrumental in starting children's summer Bible camps in the Santa Cruz mountains in the 1930's, and counseled in those camps for many years. He was a member of the Christian Business Men's Committee in San Francisco when he was working there. He was a member of Bethany Gospel Chapel in Oakland from the time of his birth until he moved to Sonora at the age of 97. He has been a member of Sierra Bible Church since moving to Sonora.
He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Dorothy (Doreen) [Boyd, OHS '32]; daughter and son-in-law Dorothy and Richard Arndt of Sonora and daughter Harriet Hill of Los Angeles, a brother Stanley Hill of Lafayette; grandsons and great grandchildren David and Lorelei Woodford and Ryan of New Canaan, CT, John and Susie Woodford, Rachel, Robert, Jake and Victoria of San Jose, and Doug and Margie Woodford, Daniel, Matthew, Andrew and Joseph of Altus, OK.
He was preceded in death by his son-in-law, Bob Woodford.
Burial has taken place in Hayward.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 on Saturday at Skyline Place, 12877 Sylva Lane.
In lieu of flowers, a donation in his name may be made to Sierra Bible Church, Promiseland project (15171 Tuolumne Road, Sonora, CA 95370), or Hospice of the Sierra, P.O. Box 4805, Sonora.
