Elizabeth "Ginger" Utermoehlen Hill

Ginger was born to Dutch Utermoehlen and Peggy Britt Utermoehlen on August 2, 1952 in Takoma Park, Maryland. She found her way to Blacksburg, Virginia where she met and married John Hill and started their family. Ginger and John settled in Maryland and Ginger started working at the UNUM Life Insurance company where she would learn ‘everything’ there is to know about medical and life benefits over her many years there. After leaving UNUM, she worked as a Benefits Specialist in a number of Washington, DC area businesses where she advocated for employee benefit improvements, leaving each location better than she found it.

In her retirement, Ginger and John moved to their project home in Delaware. It was truly a dream come true for her to ‘finish’ that house. It was finished just months before her passing. Ginger and John also maintained their own space inside their daughter’s home in North Carolina to be closer to family and her doctors.

In addition to her work, her passions included family traditions, windsurfing, NASCAR, and dog training. She thought carefully about her time and arranged it to maximize the priorities in her life.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Ginger loved to win. Games (especially cribbage), fantasy teams, crossword puzzles and conversations all became opportunities for her to win. There is no question that she won at life, beating odds, defeating foes and making us all smarter by ‘discussing’ all the issues on our minds.

Memories of Ginger will be cherished by her husband of just shy of 47 years, John Adrian Hill; daughter, Melissa Cavanaugh and husband, Tim; granddaughters, Shana and Meara Cavanaugh; and her siblings, Butch Utermoehlen, Jim Utermoehlen, and Chase Newton. Her life will also be remembered by extended family, friends, organizations where she worked, and everyone she met.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to her two favorite organizations. The first is https://sherrystrong.org/donate/ where the money goes to help with ovarian cancer research. The second is https://yourdogsfriend.org/ a dog training organization that Ginger worked closely with during her retirement.

Many thanks to Dr. Secord’s Gynecological Oncology team, and to the caring doctors, nurses and staff at Duke Medical Centers and Beebe Medical Centers. Ginger would want you to know that she appreciated your guidance, work and careful care.

A memorial service will be held on John and Ginger’s 47th Wedding Anniversary, Thursday, May 19, 2022 at Brown-Wynne Funeral Home, 200 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511 at 1:00 pm, followed by a reception.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.BrownWynneCary.com for the Hill family.