Stephen Hugh Hillier

Stephen Hillier was born at Grace Hospital in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, on November 7, 1928. His parents were James and Susanna Hillier. Stephen was raised in St. John's, although he worked for a couple of years on a dairy farm in Boston, Mass. Armed with a great wit, Stephen was raised to be accepting of others, and to practice a strong personal work ethic. Stephen had five older brothers and four older sisters: Will, James, Robert, Frank, Walter, Florence, Milly, Jane, and Katherine. Coming from such a large family, Stephen learned that treating others fairly was the best way to be treated with fairness in return, a lesson he would remember throughout his life. As a young child, Stephen enjoyed doing new things, and he pursued a variety of interests. He was an avid soccer player and loved all things hockey. He also joined the youth group of the Anglican Church, which was called the CLB, or the Church Lads Brigade. There he found his love of singing as he sang hymns with his fellow Church Lads. He also played the bugle and drums. On November 17th, 1953, Stephen exchanged wedding vows with Bernice Mary Bonia at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist, in St. John’s. Stephen was madly in love with his new bride, and he would often serenade her with his beautiful singing voice. For 63 years, Bernice was the center of Stephen’s life, and he was never as content as he was when he was by her side. Stephen and Bernice were blessed with six children: two sons, Stephen and Mark, and four daughters, Jan, Karen, Mary Lynn and Krista. Very much a kid himself, Stephen identified with the inquisitive and creative side of his children’s personalities. He approached child rearing with energy and spontaneity, teaching each of his children the value of common sense in a complicated world. Stephen and Bernice began raising their young family in St. John’s, surrounded by the love and support of their large extended families. Even though his heart would always be in Newfoundland, Stephen soon became restless, dreaming of a better life. The couple decided to relocate to the mainland, where they put down deep roots in Georgetown, Ontario. Their happiness there was made even greater with the surprise arrival of baby Mark. The Hillier family was finally complete. Stephen was also destined to become the proud grandfather, or “Poppy,” of ten grandchildren: Ashleah, Brandon, Aislynn, Janelle, Zachary, Madeleine, Cole, Emily, Jamie and Harley. In truth, he enjoyed nothing more than spending time with his family. He loved cooking a big family dinner, and was known for his delicious soups. He enjoyed summertime Sunday picnics at Terra Cotta, where he taught his children to swim, and in the wintertime he’d make a frozen rink in the backyard, where he taught his children to skate. Stephen enjoyed spending his leisure time gardening. He could often be found meticulously grooming his yard. Stephen was also an avid sports fan, and would watch his favorite events whenever he could. Tops on his list were hockey, baseball and soccer. In retirement, he found pleasure in walking, golf, darts, shuffleboard, and swimming. His most passionate pastime, however, remained watching and supporting any activities involving his children or grandchildren. Stephen was an avid consumer of news and kept current on national and world events. Politically, Stephen was a lifelong supporter of the Liberal Party of Canada and would passionately debate current events with anybody that was up for the challenge. Travel and vacations were experiences that Stephen truly enjoyed. Favorite trips included England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Barbados, Western Canada and Myrtle Beach. He also enjoyed visiting family in Boston, Texas, North Carolina and Newfoundland whenever he could. Stephen was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. He was most fond of Bonnie Prince Charlie, or “Charlie” for short, a much-loved Border Collie. Charlie was good natured, with a sweet personality, and Stephen saw no reason not to shower him with love—and spoil him. Stephen worked for the U.S. Civil Service on American Air Force Base in St. John's, Newfoundland; Goose Bay, Labrador and in Greenland. Stephen was on the ceremonial honour guard for the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. He had the privilege on one occasion to serve with the Regiment while Princess Elizabeth was on an official visit to Newfoundland. Throughout his later years, Stephen was an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion. Stephen also worked for Hefferton Construction and Northern Telecom. When Stephen’s retirement finally came in 1974 after a long workman's compensation due to a back injury, he was ready for the good life. He enjoyed simply having fun and relaxing. He adapted easily to change, so when Bernice also retired, the two left the family home in Georgetown for a new life in Wasaga Beach, Ontario. They later relocated to Pike Lake Resort near Mount Forest, Ontario, where they took pleasure in playing golf and spending time with special friends. The happy couple delighted in being snowbirds, spending 20 winters at their winter home in Cedar Creek Court in Dunedin, Florida where they had countless special memories and made many cherished friends. In his final years Stephen lived in Cambridge, Ontario, where he especially enjoyed being close to his daughters Karen and Jan, and Karen’s family. He had the love and attentive care of them all, and they were able to provide him with the support, help and companionship he needed during those years. Stephen passed away on October 14, 2016 at Fairview Mennonite Home, Cambridge, Ontario, after a long and courageous battle with Alzheimer's disease. He is survived by his wife Bernice; his children Stephen, Jan, Karen, Mary Lynn, Krista and Mark; his grandchildren Ashleah, Brandon, Aislynn, Janelle, Zachary, Madeleine, Cole, Emily, Jamie and Harley; and his sister Katherine. Services were held at T. Little Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, Cambridge, Ontario. Stephen was laid to rest in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, St. John's Newfoundland. Stephen was the kind of person who could win others over easily. He was always able to provide amusing repartee to his friends and acquaintances, offering a seemingly endless supply of quips, anecdotes, jokes and stories. He enjoyed his life and the experience of living it... and that is how everyone will remember Stephen Hugh Hillier.

Poem by James Hilborn -

To us

The last of the forgets

We've watched this unfold, slowly in front of our eyes, we've made the appointments and sat bed side and we've all had our time to cry.

We have sat in sorrow and had time to ease; waiting for the moment Steve would find his resting peace. All the while memories slip away from the date to the score last night. To who started the discussion, or who finished the last fight?

Away from this world is now where he'll stay, and wait for our time to come, but the fight and challenge of dealing with this, from that he'd never run.

A dedicated man putting family first in life, loving his wonderful partner and calling her his wife. Is what we must remember, a strong man with no regrets, and we must all remember, that we were all the last of his forgets.

Eulogy by Mark Hillier-

I have to tell you that this isn't a very comfortable situation for me. I'm really not comfortable speaking in front of people nor do I think I'm very creative, but I'm doing this for my Dad and even if this was the worst speech ever, because I did it my Dad would think it was the best! My Dad and I had a unique relationship, at times over the years we might not have talked a lot or spent a lot of time together, but in some ways he was my best friend. Like a lot of Canadian kids I was introduced to hockey by my Dad, sitting on his knee watching the Maple Leafs game every Saturday night. Dad was a big Leafs fan and so was I, so he was very proud when I began working for them, but the day I was let go by Leafs that ended, he was still a fan of mine but not the Leafs! He was later a fan of the Atlanta Thrashers and the Winnipeg Jets the other teams I worked for. The love of hockey and all sports was something Dad and I always shared. As a kid growing up I played all sports and Dad was my biggest fan. My skill level was probably average but I was very competitive, hated to lose and would never give up. After watching my Dad battle this week I know now where I got those traits! A number of times this week it seemed that Dad was down a goal in the last minute of the game but he kept rallying to send the game to over-time. For the people that only knew my Dad over the last couple of years you didn't know the passionate, full of life guy he used to be. Whether he was playing golf, gardening, landscaping, cooking, singing, sun tanning, watching sports, arguing about politics, at the Legion, or at a social event with my Mom, he lived life to the fullest, always had fun and enjoyed himself. The one thing without question that Dad loved more than sports and his hobbies were his family. His love for my Mom was undeniable, he really couldn't live without her, from the time I was a kid to his last days he couldn't go a minute without mentioning Mom. He never wanted to be apart from her and wanted to share everything with her. Dad was also extremely proud of his kids and grandkids. In his mind we were all the best at what we did. Dad would never miss an event or game we ever played in, he was the one father that would never even miss a practice. At times that was extremely difficult when I was a kid because Dad had multiple back surgeries and walked with canes a lot of the time, but that never stopped him, he didn't miss anything. When I said that Dad thought all of his kids were the best and couldn't do anything wrong, I have a quick story about that: When I was about 12 years old I had a soccer game, and right at the end of the game I got into a big fight on the field. I kind of felt good about myself because I won the fight but I thought I would get in trouble when I got back to the car where Dad was waiting for me. In Dads way he said, "What the hell was that all about"? So I said, "You told me to always stick up for myself and never be pushed around". So Dad never said another word, but it didn't end there! After we were home for a while my coach and the other kid’s father showed up at our door, so I thought I'd be in big trouble now for sure! But as soon as they started to say anything negative about me, Dad in only his way, told them "to get back in their car and get the hell off his property, no one was going to come in his house and say anything bad about his son"! That doesn't mean Dad was never mad at me, he was plenty of times, but I don't think he thought that gave anyone else the right to be mad or say anything bad about me! So whether I was right or wrong or dad was right or wrong, I knew from that day forward Dad would always have my back, protect me and do anything for me. It was the same for my Mom, my brother and sisters; he had all of our backs! Dad wasn't an educated man but he was very smart. Dad read a lot of books and the newspaper from cover to cover every night. Dad had a keen interest and memory for political and historical events. He loved talking politics and was a hard core liberal supporter and he wasn't shy to let everyone know it. Just like I said he had my back, he had Pierre Trudeau's, Jean Chretien's, and all the other liberal leaders back, you couldn't say anything bad about them either! My Dads quality of life had been poor for a long time. It started when his eye sight started to go, he couldn't do some of his favourite things anymore. He couldn't read the newspaper; watch the news on t.v., or a hockey or ball game. In the last few years it was hard to watch the dementia set in. Dad was a very proud, strong man and this disease strips you of your dignity at times. Dad knew he had these issues and was embarrassed by them, but there’s nothing he could do about it. My whole family did as much as we could for Dad to make him comfortable in his last year when he was at Fairview. Unfortunately myself, Steve, Mary Lynn and Krista, were not able to be here all the time physically but our Dad never left our minds for a minute, we were always thinking about him and wishing we could do more. I want to especially thank those that were always there for Dad this past year though: My Mom was unbelievable and so strong; she was there every day for my Dad even though she had some physical issues to deal with herself. My sister Jan was there all the time for both my Mom and Dad. My sister Karen and her family, Dave, Brandon, Aislynn and Nick, Janelle and James, you are an amazing family and I appreciate everything you did for Dad. To the staff at Fairview, I appreciate how you handled my Dad with care and compassion every day. The world lost a few great men recently: Mohamed Ali, one of the world’s best boxers, Gordie Howe, one of the world’s best hockey player’s, and Arnold Palmer, one of the world’s best golfers. I think my Dad should be mentioned with these Hall of Famers because he was one of the world’s great Dad’s! I feel so lucky that I had you as my Dad, I will miss you but I’m so glad that all the pain and suffering is over and you can finally rest in peace.

Eulogy by David Hatt -

My Father-in-law Stephen Hillier

Good morning; I would first like to thank everyone for joining the family to celebrate the life of Stephen Hillier. I would like to personally thank Pastor’s Jeff and Prakash for officiating today’s service and for the comfort they have provided to our family.

I would also like to recognize and thank the wonderful staff at the Fairview Mennonite Home, Long Term Care Unit for the loving care of Stephen and the constant support of Bernice; you are all “Angels of Mercy”. I also want to recognize two other “Angels of Mercy”, Jan and Karen for their unselfish support of their mother Bernice and their Dad Stephen during these past numbers of months. Stephen Hillier is a wonderful man, a wonderful husband to Bernice, a wonderful father to Steve, Jan, Karen, Mary Lynn, Krista and Mark; a wonderful Poppy to Ashleah, Brandon, Aislynn, Janelle, Madeleine, Emily, Zachary, Cole, Jamie and Harley. He loved all of you so very much. Stephen had a great love for his family; he was a hardworking man with a strong work ethic. I remember Karen sharing many stories with me over the years about how her father always provided for their family. There were occasions when he was laid off from his work, but he would always seek other employment or find odd jobs, in order to provide for his family. He always made sure the family had some form of a vacation whether it was travelling down east to NFLD, or just a simple stay at home vacation going to Terra Cotta Conservation Area every day. As long as a lake or an ocean was involved he was happy. Stephen loved being part of his children’s activities as well as the activities of his grandchildren. Stephen loved life; his true love of his life is Bernice. She was his rock. But I have to confess at times I often thought “Charlie” was the love of his life. Charlie the dog that could do no wrong, the dog that watched hockey with him on Saturday night, and shared the treats he kept in the little table next to his chair. Most of you know in their later years Stephen and Bernice became snow birds, and spent 20 winters basking in the Florida sunshine and warmth, while the rest of us froze in the wintery north. Poppy loved having his grandchildren around him even when they would mimic him. I remember one time Karen and I and our kids were up at the Wasaga Beach home and one morning while Poppy was watching TV and Bernice and Karen were in the Kitchen, Poppy called out “Bernice can you get me a cup of coffee”; and on cue Aislynn and Janelle who were also watching TV with Poppy called out “Bernice can you get me a coffee”. Well Poppy was in shock; he looked at the girls with a frowned grin, but then laughed. It has been an honour for me to know Stephen over the past 35 years. He welcomed me into his family, he entrusted me with the hand of his daughter Karen, he trusted me to love and care for Karen, he trusted me to make a good home for 3 of his grandchildren and he encouraged me throughout my career. I have been truly blessed by his trust and love. These past numbers of months have been a challenge for Stephen and his family. At times when he would not let the staff at Fairview shave him, a number of us had the honour to shave him. I say honour, because as Christian’s, making sacrifices and serving those in need is truly an honour. The disciples learned this from Jesus when He washed their feet. Over the last little while Stephen, at times would stretch out his arms and hands asking God to forgive him. Those of us in his room told him, that God had forgiven him for all of his sins. When I was later reflecting on this, I believe that Stephen was preparing himself for his journey home. Wanting to make sure he was right with God. I also think Stephen, Dad, Poppy was reminding us that a relationship with God is the foundation of life. As Stephen lay in his bed this past week and as his “hour” drew near, I kept thinking of the song. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” This was my prayer for Stephen as he moved closer to the hour of his time to go home. As I close my remarks I would like to share a little imagery with you that I hope will bring you some comfort. As Stephen lay in his bed, God sent his Angel to Stephen’s bedside saying “the time has come to bring Stephen Home”; and as Stephen gave his last breath the Angel said to him “don’t be a afraid I am here to bring you home”. The Angel picked up Stephen, Dad, Poppy and delivered him into the waiting arms of Jesus. As Jesus held Stephen, Dad, Poppy in his arms, he placed his right hand on Stephen’s chest and as a single tear came down his cheek, Jesus said “ Stephen rest, your body is healed, there is no more pain, there is no more fear, no more suffering, you are home; well done my faithful servant.” Praise be to God.

* * * * * * * * * *

Stephen Hugh Hillier, 88, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2016 at Fairview Mennonite Home in Cambridge, Ontario. Loving husband of Bernice Bonia Hillier of 63 years. Father of Steve (Wendy); Jan Hillier; Karen (David) Hatt; Mary Lynn (Preston Peek); Krista Diamond; and Mark (Kelly). Proud Grandfather of Ashleah; Brandon, Aislynn, Janelle; Zachary; Madeleine, Emily; Cole; Jamie; and Harley. He is also survived by his sister Katherine Hillier Ashbee.

In his youth Steve was a member of the CLB (Church Lads Brigade) and served on the honour guard of the Royal Newfoundland Regiment. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion. Steve was a lifelong sports fan. He especially liked watching hockey, baseball, soccer, and playing golf. He was especially passionate about watching and supporting anything that his children and grandchildren played. He loved to sing his favourite hymns and the popular tunes of the 40s and 50s. Steve will be fondly remembered by many family and friends in St. John’s, NL; Georgetown, ON; Pike Lake/Mount Forest, ON; and Dunedin, FL.

Visitation with family will start at 10:00 a.m. followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, October 17, 2016 at T. Little Funeral Home & Cremation Centre, 223 Main Street, Cambridge. Cremation has taken place. Burial will take place in St. John’s, NL in summer 2017. Donations can be made to the Fairview Mennonite Home or the Sunnyside Community Alzheimer Day Program of Cambridge. www.tlittlefuneralhome.com.

The Hillier family would like to express their gratitude and appreciation to the staff and volunteers at the Fairview Mennonite Home who provided Stephen with the most loving and compassionate care. We will always remember your kindness.