Charles Ernest Hill was born to Ernest Carroll & Seawillow (Foley) Hill on February 14, 1948 in Beaumont, Texas. He passed away surrounded by his loving family on June 14, 2018 in New Braunfels, Texas at the age of 70. Charles was preceded in death by his father, Ernest Carroll "Nick" Hill; father-in-law, Joseph V. Merendino and beloved loyal border collie "Penni Dawg Hill."
Affectionately known as "T'Bear" by family and close friends, he was a loving husband, father and grandfather.
Charles is survived by his devoted wife of 45 years, Charlotte A. Hill of New Braunfels; mother, Seawillow "Sue" Hill of Lufkin; sons, Dee Charles Hill & wife, Ubalda Dominguez Mendiola of New Braunfels and Joseph C. Hill & wife, Stacy of Seguin. Grandchildren, Timothy Charles Hill- Schumacher, Micayla Brooke Decuir and Cooper Jackson Hill; mother-in-law, Marie Merendino; sister-in-law & brother-in-law, Brenda & Lloyd Cowart and niece, Kristy Cowart.
After graduating from Monsignor Kelly H.S. in Beaumont, TX in 1966, Charles enlisted in the United States Army. He received advanced infantry training at Ft. Ord, CA and jump school training at Ft. Benning, GA and was soon deployed to Vietnam. There he served as a paratrooper with the 173rd Airborne Brigade where he saw action in areas such as Dak To, Pleiku, Bien Hoa, War Zones D & C, the Iron Triangle and others. Charles served his Country proudly and with honor and considered himself fortunate to have returned home. After his tour in Vietnam, he was stationed at Ft. Polk, LA and was a Drill Sgt.
Charles attended Lamar University majoring in Criminal Justice and was previously employed in law enforcement as a police officer and ID Technician with the Beaumont Police Dept. He made a career change and worked as a switchman for Kansas City Southern Lines for several years until an on-the-job injury necessitated seeking another occupation. Charles then became a licensed substance abuse counselor and was employed with the TDCJ in various prisons. While employed at Beaumont Neurological Center he received the Dr. Frist Humanitarian Award for his work in organizing the S.O.S. (Support Our Soldiers) group for the benefit of families with loved ones serving in Operation Desert Storm/Desert Shield (Gulf War) in which his son, Dee, served.
Charles' dream of working in the funeral service industry became a reality in 1999 when he enrolled in Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service where he received an Associate of Applied Science degree w/honors. He became dually licensed as a funeral director/embalmer and worked at funeral homes in Uvalde, Llano, Beaumont, Early, Yoakum and lastly at Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home in New Braunfels for seven years until health issues resulted in retirement. His employment with the family-owned Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home was the job where he felt most comfortable and was honored to be a part of their team.
Charles was a former Rotarian and had served as a volunteer on the City of New Braunfels Parks and Recreation Cemetery Committee. He was a Lifetime Member of the National Rifle Association and a true American patriot. Charles was most at peace outdoors and loved hunting and fishing. Several years ago he was taught the art of "witching" for graves and became quite proficient at it much to the amazement of those who actually witnessed him in action. He also loved to use his metal detector to find items left behind long ago by his ancestors on land near the historic Engelking Cemetery in Austin County. Charles had a keen eye for spotting arrowheads and was always looking for additions to his extensive collection of artifacts.
Charles was especially proud of his German heritage as a fifth generation member of the Sack Family who immigrated to Texas in 1834 and founded the community of Cat Spring. He and wife, Charlotte, were active supporters of and helped establish the biennial Sack Family Reunion, USA, four of which were held in New Braunfels. Charles' Sack connection was via his paternal grandmother, Della Louise Langhamer Hill. Charles also became very interested in learning more about his Hill ancestors on his paternal grandfather's side. His great great grandfather, Asa Hill and sons Jeffrey Hill and John C. C Hill, were participants in the 1842 expedition to Cuidad Mier, the purpose of which was to insure Texas' independence from Mexico. A battle ensued, Asa and Jeffrey were captured and imprisoned, and John C. C. Hill was eventually adopted by General Santa Ana in order to gain the release of his father and brother. This story fascinated Charles and he had high hopes of one day traveling to Cuidad Mier as son, Dee, had done. Charles was very proud of the Texas historical marker honoring Asa Hill which is on Hwy. 159 in Rutersville (Fayette Co.). His picture was taken standing beside the historical marker and he always saluted when driving by on his many trips to both Austin and Fayette counties.
Graveside Services and Inurnment, with military honors, will be held at 9:30 AM on Monday, July 16, 2018 at Hill Country Memorial Gardens, 11700 TX-46, New Braunfels, Texas 78132 with Reverend Rick Bartlett officiating.
The family would like to express sincere appreciation to Carl Doeppenschmidt, Tom Cornelison, and Sue Fletcher for their love and support during this time of bereavement. Also to Dr. Jay L. Gruhlkey and staff at Lone Star Medical for their many years of loving care.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Hope Hospice, 611 N Walnut Ave, New Braunfels, TX 78130.