Jeffrey Sylvester Hill

“Anything is possible.” That is what Jeffrey Sylvester Hill believed about life. He was a creative man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Jeffrey thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Jeffrey was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

Jeffrey was born on November 3, 1979 at Kaiser Hospital in Hollywood, California. His parents were Cynthia and Jeffrey Hill. Jeffrey was raised in Rancho Cucamonga, Rowland Heights and Upland, California. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Jeffrey could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Jeffrey's family relationships. Jeffrey was raised with one sibling. He had one younger brother, Jonathan. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Jeffrey was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

As a young boy, Jeffrey could be found building and inventing new and different things. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original. Jeffrey took part in football, baseball and roller and ice hockey.

Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, Jeffrey enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. Jeffrey was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He graduated from Rancho Cucamonga High School in 1997. He enjoyed some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers.

As a born inventor, Jeffrey was definitely in his element in his work place. He could easily create new and innovative systems, and incorporate those changes to bring a fresh approach to any work situation. Jeffrey was a focused worker with a strong drive for achievement. He could assess all of the options before him and, using his analytical skills, could comfortably find answers that no one else had even considered. His personal initiative inspired those around him. Jeffrey was always good at getting a project started and then, at the appropriate time, handing it on to a colleague. His primary occupation was manager. He was employed for 1 year with Taco Bell, 3 years with Carl's Jr. Also worked for Continental Airlines and US Airways. Jeffrey always made an effort to be a team player, doing what needed was necessary in order to get the job done.

Jeffrey's passion for finding a better way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Jeffrey was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an “expert” in might come as a surprise to those who knew him, but most friends and family understood that Jeffrey simply couldn’t be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits were carpentry, drawing, art and listening to music.

Jeffrey's calm demeanor and eternally positive outlook served him well in sports. In high school, Jeffrey played football his freshman year. Jeffrey was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and ice hockey.

Jeffrey was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. His family was rounded out by his cats Priscilla, Lickie Kitty and Sneakers.

Jeffrey passed away on December 11, 2013 at Bakersfield, California. He is survived by his parents Cynthia and Jeffrey Hill, his brother Jonathan Hill, sister-in-law Wendy, niece Hannah, nephew Nolan, grandma Lucille Beisel, grandfather Ray Hill, aunts and uncles Janet Koontz, Gail Perierra, Michelle Connell, Alan Perierra, Steve Connell, Ray Hill, Terry Hill, Alex Hill, Karen Durham, Bill Durham and cousins Robert Koontz, Mariana Koontz, Jana Vestal, Jami Koontz, Michael Hill, Matthew Hill, Pamela Geiger, AJ Perierra and Courtney Yamimoto. Services were held at Custer Christiansen Chapel.

During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Jeffrey. He met the words “it can’t be done” with the enthusiastic challenge of a “wanna bet” attitude. Jeffrey was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Jeffrey, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Jeffrey Sylvester Hill, the fun of living his life could be found in the challenge.