Christopher John Hill was born Jan. 24, 1949, in Crail, Scotland to John Hill and Audrey Stone Hill. He died Tues., Jan. 2, 2024, at home with his wife and daughter by his side. Christopher was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Alistair Hill. He is survived by his wife of 37 years, Diane Roberson-Hill; his daughter, Vickie Hill (Andy); his grandson, Carter Whitfield; sisters, Wendy Roper, Francis Rushforth, Allison Ball (Martin) and Andrea Hill; sisters-in-law, Marilyn Patton and Kay Johnson (Robert); and many nieces and nephews both in the United States and United Kingdom.
Christopher lived in England during his childhood and teenage years before he decided to join the Armed Forces. On May 29, 1967, at the age of 18, he set out to enlist in the Air Force because his father was in the Air Force. That office was closed so he went across the street and enlisted in the Royal Navy. He served on ten different ships during his twenty-three-year career and fought in the Falklands War. In 1979, he served on the Royal Navy Field Gun Crew and the Navy won the competition that year. Christopher’s true love was aircraft. He retired as Chief Officer of the Flight Deck and as an In-Flight Engineer. He was a dedicated true patriot and enjoyed every minute of his service and the travels it afforded him. During his time in the Royal Navy, he sailed around the world twice. He officially retired on May 29, 1989. Upon moving to Alabama after his retirement, Christopher worked for a short time at Rohr Aero Services before going to work at Mobile Aerospace. In 1997, FedEx recruited him to become a Sr. Quality Assurance Representative and he remained there until his retirement in 2014.
After 9/11, Christopher decided to become an American Citizen and took his pledge on Aug. 6, 2003. He wanted to be able to vote. He was a proud American and never missed an opportunity to exercise that right. Christopher and Diane met in 1984 on a blind date neither of them knew had been arranged. They would tell you it was love at first sight and they never looked back. They married on Mar. 23, 1986, and commuted “across the pond” until Christopher retired and immigrated to the United States in 1989. Their favorite place was home together with one another.
Christopher truly was unique, and in the words of almost everyone who knew him, a very special person. He had a wide range of interests and a love for knowledge. If you wanted to know something, especially about planes, guns, and music, you could find the information or advice from him. His gun collection was extensive and mostly included the firearms related to his and his father’s military service. He spent many hours on the range making sure they were in pristine condition. His love of music is well known and there was always music playing in the background at home. Christopher loved to tell the story of hitchhiking home from London before he joined the military. A white van stopped to pick him up and Peter Townsend got out of the van and offered him a ride. By the end of the trip, Christopher had been recruited as a “Roadie” and traveled with The Who for the next two months. He never divulged what actually happened during those two months.
Christopher will be best remembered for his wicked sense of humor. He was always the life of the party and never missed an opportunity to tease or tell a joke. No matter how bad he felt as he fought cancer, he was never too ill to make some silly comment that made everyone in the room laugh. He fought with all he had and never believed that he could not beat the disease. He was kind and smart and humble and always laid back. Christpoher loved life and lived big. He cherished time with family and friends and was deeply committed to his daughter, Vickie, and grandson, Carter.
He and Diane often called one another “Sunshine” and when one of them left before the other was awake, there was usually a note by the coffee pot saying, “Good Morning Sunshine”. He truly did light up the room with that big smile and a hug and kiss on the cheek. So, we will all miss him deeply. The world was a bright place with him in it. “Shine On” Christopher. You will always be remembered in the stories we tell of our time with you.
A memorial service was held at Hughes Funeral Home, Daphne, Alabama, on Mon., Jan. 8, 2024, with Fr. Matthew O’Connor as Celebrant.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project at www.woundedwarriorproject.org or the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org/
Expressions of condolences for the family may be made at www.hughesfh.com. Hughes Funeral Home, Daphne, Alabama, is assisting the family.
