“Uncle Butch”

I was so saddened by the news that you were no longer with us.

As my uncle you played a unique role in my life, offering support, guidance, and friendship.

Our life as niece and uncle were some of the best memories I have from childhood. Not sure where to begin, I have so many fond memories of you.

- Camping trips where we all crunched into that little orange and white Shasta like sardines. We sang songs and you told ghost stories.
- You gave me a dime to give you back massages. When I thought you were asleep, I would sneak out of the room and then you catch me.
- You showed me how to keep my milk cold by adding crushed ice. (I still drink it like this).
- Haunted houses you took me too, which scared the crap out of me, but you comforted me and said it wasn't real.
- The time Grandma forced you to take me with you and your date to the Drive-in Theater. I could never see the movie from the back seat of your mustang, so I ended up going to sleep.
- Watching old Clint Eastwood movies on weekends.
- All of us getting together to watch the Wizard of Oz at Grandma’s house once a year.
- You took me with you White Water Rafting in PA. One of the most exciting adventures I had when I was a kid.
- All the Halloween parties you had on Billy’s birthday, you always went to the extreme and had the best parties.
- You asked me to be in your wedding.
- You helped me purchase my townhouse in Laurel, which, that took an exceptional amount of patience.

You were always the life of the party; your laughter was loud and contagious.
Telling your jokes and doing your funny impressions. You always gave the best advice, hugs, and you always cared about the family’s happiness and well-being. You were a role model for all of us. You always had a positive outlook on life....

Grandma use to get after you for always showing up late for family gatherings, and she would say, "you are going to be late for your own funeral," well here we are...not your fault this time.

The memories of you will last a lifetime in my heart. You were the best “Uncle” any niece could ask for….

RIP Uncle Butch – You will always be loved and missed by many.

Wendell and I were movies buddies and beyond. When a new Marvel picture, Mission Impossible, James Bond (said in a Wendell British accent) we would coordinate which Tuesday we would go to the Rio to see the Movie. Tuesday was Senior discount day, and Wendell could also use his discount card. Which he insisted on using. We enjoyed each others company a great deal. I find it to difficult to go to the movies without him. He is hugely missed by me and so many other. I think of Wendell often, especially when a new movie comes out that I know we would have seen together.

My Birthday Parties

Some of my fondest memories of my Uncle Butch were my birthday parties.

During my younger years, he would come over and perform magic tricks after my mom would have us bob for apples, play pin the tail on the donkey, and play other games I can’t recall.

Then he graduated us to Halloween parties. He would recruit his friends to participate in the festivities of scaring the crap out of us.

One year he gathered us at the corner of the house. This is when we lived in Calverton next to a wooded empty lot. He then guided us into the woods and as he did, he told us of ghosts and goblins. All of the sudden someone emerged from the earth and chased us until we reached the sliding glass door in the rear of the house.

We entered through the door and came to the door which led to an unfinished basement. Butch had put sheets up so we needed to walk through them so as not to see what was behind them. When we emerged, there was a coffin all the way in the back next to the wall. As he was talking, the coffin started creaking open and his friend Larry sat up and turned his head towards us as to come and get us and bite all of us for dinner.

We screamed and ran through the drapes and up the steps to the main floor of the house. We walked down the hallway and came to a bathroom. In the bathtub there was a woman who had drowned. She had a tube running from her mouth to be able to breathe, but how would we know?

The last I can remember was going to the end of the hall and going into what was Jenny’s room. In the bed was a dilapidated old woman (maybe Kate) who was the representation of Linda Blair in the Exorcist movie. As normal, we ran scared back to the living room.

One of my friends John Tehti was so scared that his parents had to come pick him up! Butch felt so bad.

Uncle Butch (Wendell) was born to entertain, and he did it well, put his imagination into overdrive, and pleased the audience.

Wendell's passing from this world will never completely heal over.

This is from Sousanna, daughter of Irina and Bill Miller (nephew).
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We’ve always had a small family, but with Wendall, it didn’t matter. Holidays were made memorable when he showed up. He brought the party with him, even if it was a few hours late. Every Thanksgiving he gave us a chocolate calendar, no matter how old we got. They were always different but always delicious.

I remember the last time I saw Wendall was at the Great Pancake House, it wasn’t a holiday but family was in town and we all made an effort to see each other. He showed us what would be his final magic trick. Although I didn’t know it at the time. Somehow he managed to puncture a playing card with a pencil, but not really? Not sure, still waiting for him to reveal that trick. 

Wendall got a second chance at life and although it wasn’t as long as anyone would’ve wanted, I’m forever grateful to have known him, to have laughed with him, and to now pass down the magic tricks he did teach me.

The following memory is from Liz Fish. She was Liz Frederick when we were growing up. The Frederick family was a second family to Butch and me.
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Butch (which is what we called him) was such an awesome guy, just like a brother to the Frederick girls, so we go way back in time!

The Frederick Family and the Hill Family were very close knit. Ida/Admiral and Ruth/Red were best friends and always doing things together. Therefore, as kids we were always together as well. The families would go camping, go to Ocean City and we event went on a vacation to Mexico together, pulling trailers to boot! Obviously, an adventure with many laughs.

Butch was so loving, caring, extremely funny and very thoughtful. He was always ready to help us girls in any way he could.

As we grew up and started our grown-up lives, we always got updated on what was happening with each other thru our parents and especially Butch’s mother. When we lost our parents, we tried to stay in touch, especially with Butch.

Butch was a God send when we lost our sister Wanda, a classmate of his. He helped us with her funeral and did her life sketch and became our Realtor in selling her house. He went above and beyond, going the extra mile to ensure that he did everything he could to make sure the house was sold. For that we will always be grateful to him.

He kept us posted on his health issues and all the rough/terrible times that he and his family went through. Butch fought hard to overcome so much, so when we thought everything was going well for him, we got notified of his untimely death.

Butch will forever be a part of our lives. We loved him like a brother and he touched the hearts of many people with his laughter and attitude.

I will always remember his signature trait—the yellow pencil at the end of his emails.

This memory is from Butch's nephew Billy Miller.
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  One that I recall when I was young would be the time when Butch was into the JRR Tolken series.
When Mom would have grandma baby sit Jenny and I we couldn’t wait for Butch to get home. Either with his friends or on a date.
  After he got home he would let us go into his room and sit on his bed. He would break open the Charles Chips can of potato chips and begin snacking He never really read from the book itself, we were too young to understand the words. He would then find the spot of the story that he had already read and begin.
  Butch would tell it in a way that kept us interested: creating the trails, the excitement, the colors of the sky, and the landscape we felt.
  I do treasure those moments and hope to never forget them.
Wendell was an ever loving and giving person. I loved him dearly.
Billy

This story is from Irina Miller, wife of Butch's nephew Bill Miller.
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I still remember the first time meeting Wendell! Bill and I were together maybe for a short month when Bill suggested that I should meet his family: he meant to say his grandma, his uncle - Wendell, Wendell’s wife - Karen, their daughter, Laurie who was engaged to Trey back then and Bill’s aunt, Kate. I was very nervous. I wanted to leave a good impression but was worried what if they don’t like me. It was my first time meeting the real American family.
As soon as we walked through the door, the first person I saw was Bill’s uncle, Wendell! He was big in size but had a very kind face. I didn’t know how to act? Of course I said “Hi” to everybody but Wendell came over to me and gave me a hug. It was such a warm and welcoming hug that I felt relieved. This is a good family I thought to myself! Then everybody started talking and I wasn’t nervous anymore. Wendell did have a talent of making people feel at ease! I loved his personality! He was the heart of any company!

I will tell one story that includes my sister, Bonnie, and it kind of sums up what it was like growing up with Butch and Bonnie.

We had to meet with an estate lawyer for our mom‘s estate. Normally, these are very solemn meetings because the documents are dreadfully depressing. One guy dies then the other guy dies. When both guys die at the same time, then what do we want done, and so on. So we were escorted into this conference room and it was Butch, Bonnie, Mom and me.

They shut the door and within minutes Butch said something funny, we all laughed hysterically. Then Bonnie riffed off it, we continued laughing. Then I added my two cents and we were all shaking the walls laughing. I’m sure the office staff outside the room were wondering about us….most families are quiet and solemn at those times.

Gail Silver
To Woody Hill: I don't remember if I sent you a note or not, because I was so distraught at the news of losing your father, Wendell, and, almost at the same time, losing Alan Gross, one of Kurt Reichenbach's and my best friends! Wendell and I became very close when we worked closely together on Kurt's memorial and I was about to call Wendell when I saw your post: I loved Wendell and Alan so much and didn't want to share about Alan's death until I spoke to his magnificent wife, Norma Topa Gross, who is going through such deep sorrow right now, as are you and your family, dear Woody! Wendell and Alan will never be forgotten: Two beautiful human beings. RIP Wendell and Alan and Much Love, Hugs and Support to both of your families! xoxo

This is John Sweet from the old neighborhood (Hillandale). I lived around the corner on Cresthaven Drive. The fact that I randomly came across this Tribute site is a testament to the connective power and reach of the Internet. And a few coincidences thrown in.

Wow. So sorry to hear this news and condolences to the Hill family and friends. I knew Butch (he was always Butch to me) for a short time but wanted to share a few memories. I think we met in about 1964 and it was through a shared interest in comic books. I vaguely remember a Superman Club (yes, Butch was an organizer!). And the homemade movies. Let me tell you about movies I "acted" in. Butch made a Spiderman movie and I recall his own take on some Twilight Zone stories. And we did one on a popular TV show at the time, The Invaders. And who could forget The Man from U.N.C.L.E.? Butch loved that show.

But the one memory that really sticks out is when Butch created a comic book of his own. He wrote and illustrated the stories and he asked me about producing it (it was on carbon paper). I went to the school front office at Francis Scott Key Jr. High and asked one of the secretaries if she would print it on the "mimeo" machine. And she agreed! So for a year or so I would take the pile of papers into school and she would discretely run it off for us. I'm sure she was a rule-breaker!

We moved away in 1968 or so and I don't think I ever saw Butch again. Ironically, I have lived in Laytonsville for many years just down the road from Olney. Who knows? Our paths may have crossed unknowingly.

Once again, my condolences to all of the Hills. I hope these words have provided a small glimpse into happy days decades ago. I've enjoyed dredging these up.

John Sweet
jjdjsweet@comcast.net

The world lost an amazing soul last week. My Dad, Wendell Hill Jr passed away in his sleep last Friday. He was one-of-a-kind, always cheerful and positive, even in the face of adversity and hardship.

In 2018 he was suffering from numerous health issues, the worst of which was a congenital liver disease known as Alpha-1 deficiency. In early 2019 he became the recipient of a new liver, and began the long road of recovery back to full health. He had been away from his home for nearly a year, bouncing between rehab facilities and hospitals, nearly dying about six different times.

This entire time, despite all the reasons he would be justified in acting miserable, he didn’t. He was the opposite. He always smiled and laughed, cracking jokes with every nurse, doctor, and attendant that passed through his room, brightening their days and spreading his cheerful demeanor to others. He fought to live, to have more time on this earth with his family and friends (and to catch a few more movies at the theater while he was at it).

After he was admitted to the hospital in 2018, I made the tough decision to leave New Orleans and return to Maryland. At first I stayed with my sister Laura, but eventually moved in with my Mom and Dad when he returned home from the hospital in 2019. Later my sister joined us, and for a little over a year, the four of us were under the same roof as we had been in my childhood. And during this time, my Dad’s health skyrocketed in the right direction. He was fully rehabilitated, able to move about on his own, and even kept up a light exercise routine (I had never witnessed this before in my life). He survived the pandemic despite being an immunosuppressed transplant patient. He was thriving in all the ways that mattered most. And he was alive, enjoying so many meaningful moments with his family that almost never came to be.

He meant so much to me and to so many others. Some might say Kurt Reichenbach was his best friend, but I would selfishly argue that it was me. He taught me so much, like how to show genuine love and compassion to people, and how to be friendly and patient. He exposed me to comedy, magic, and creative writing. He helped me make a better Indiana Jones Halloween costume year after year. I know he loved me, just as he loved his wife Karen and his daughter Laura. I know this because he told us all the time, and we told him we loved him just as much. I truly believe he died without anything left unsaid.

I’m going to miss you, Dad. A lot. I will always hold your memory in my heart and I am so thankful for all the moments we shared in our lifetimes, especially the extra ones at the end. Rest in peace, and we’ll see you on the other side.

-Woody