2021/02/Obituary-hill-Photo-Main-188x300.jpgMary Beth Hill, age 85, passed away on Feb. 5 after fighting terminal illness for nearly a year. She was born in Enid, Okla., in 1935 to Everett and Grace Garnet, and lived in Enid until her graduation from high school, whereupon she attended OSU and joined the Pi Beta Phi sorority sisterhood with whom she devoted lifelong affiliation and love. She moved to Denver, Colo., in 1972 and worked a lengthy and fulfilling career at State Farm in Broomfield, Colo., for 27 years, where she met her husband, James Hill. They married in 1978 and retired to Pagosa Springs, Colo., in 2000. In retirement, she played tennis, contributed actively to Thingamajig Theatre, traveled the world, enjoyed playing bridge, participated in square and line dancing, and cherished spending as much time as possible with family and friends.
Mary Beth was preceded in death by her parents, brother (Merle), and son (Kevin). She is survived by her husband, James C. Hill; her three remaining children: Kimberly (Bill), Stephanie (Tim) and Brett (Anne); and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, all of whom will dearly miss her as matriarch of the family.
For any who knew her, though, her life summed into a paragraph seems inadequate because she was so much more than words can express. She radiated like a ray of sunshine in any room she walked into, bringing with her joy, laughter, smiles and love. She never spoke an unkind word about anyone and strove to be accepting and kind in every situation. From her shoes and perfectly coordinated outfit to her perfectly fixed hair and nails with not a lipstick line out of place, she brought grace, style and cheer to every social affair. Fine dining, a good glass of wine and any excuse to gather with loved ones to eat, drink and be merry were the driving forces of her life because, mostly, Mary Beth loved people. And people loved her. She was that one-in-a-million soul that touched more lives than she could ever know, brought light to the lives of countless individuals, and genuinely cared about everyone she spoke to and made them feel like they mattered, whether she’d known them for five minutes or forever. It takes courage to live the way she did. May we all take a lesson from her strength and keep her memory alive in the light that we contribute to the world because in the end, we are only the light we leave behind to live on in those we shared it with.
Due to the restrictions of COVID, unfortunately, there will not be a service to honor Mary Beth’s life, so we ask that you celebrate her life in your own special way. Her favorite songs were “Wind Beneath My Wings,” “Amazing Grace” and “Can I Have This Dance,” but she enjoyed listening to all country music and especially Charlie Pride. She loved flowers, too, but with no place to put all such offerings of love and condolence, she asked that you please make a donation to your favorite charity instead.
