Jerry Mae Hill

Jerry Mae (Mangum) Hill was born April 28, 1926, to Gervys and Ima Mangum, in Poteet, Texas. She died November 11, 2005, at her daughter’s home in Austin, with her family at her side, after a brief struggle with cancer. She was 79. Jerry grew up in Poteet, the oldest of three daughters, where she was drum major and valedictorian of her class. She then graduated from Mary Hardin Baylor College in Belton, Texas, majoring in accounting. Jerry received many academic awards all through school, while developing a life long love for piano. She married Navy officer J. Frank Hill on November 26, 1947. As a Navy wife, Jerry traveled extensively with her family from the Philippines, to Arlington, Virginia. After the death of Jerry’s father in 1968, the family moved home to Pleasanton, Texas, where she taught school for 5 years and loved coaching the girl’s golf team. The whole family moved to Austin in 1974, where Jerry taught business courses at Westlake High School, then worked at the UT Center for Energy Studies. She capped her career as a successful real estate agent for Marsh & Box before retiring in 1987. Jerry loved playing golf and was a member of the AWPLGA for 23 years, enjoying both camaraderie and competition – two things she thrived on. She loved playing bridge and Scrabble. The family spent each summer together in the mountains of Colorado, Montana and New Mexico. Her last few years were spent at the Renaissance Retirement Community, where she developed many fast friends. Jerry is survived by her four children and their spouses: Dixie Houston and Steve of Austin, Shelby Barnett and Helmut of Austin, Kathy Lester and Fred of Dallas and Harry Hill and Kathy of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as well as her grandchildren: Jessica, Jake and Michael Lester; Anne Barnett; and Kate, Emily and Chris Houston. Jerry’s sisters, Mabel Lawson and Bonnie Simmons, both of Poteet, survive her. She was an elegant, intelligent, gracious and fun person and will be missed dearly. A memorial service honoring Jerry will be held on Friday, November 18, at 11:00 a.m. at Northwest Hills United Methodist Church, 7050 Village Center Drive, Austin. The family requests contributions be made in Jerry’s name to Hospice Austin or The Salvation Army. Obituary and guestbook available online at wcfish.com