Clarence Henry Hill

Clarence Hill’s long and productive life was full of family, travel, farming, gardening and socializing with his numerous friends. He had many varied business interests, but whenever there was an inquiry about his profession, he always gave the same response. “I’m a farmer,” he would say with pride. He loved agriculture, recently planted a new orchard and was actively engaged in running the farm until his last day. Additionally, he was a mentor to many friends over the years giving advice on business, farming, gardening and life in general.

It’s unusual for a city boy from Oakland to become a first generation farmer, but his agricultural interest surfaced very early. His neighborhood business of propagating and planting flowers at age 9 was so well known that it earned him the nickname “little flower boy.” He also convinced his elementary school teacher to allow him to plant a vegetable garden on campus. During his childhood Clarence maintained a large garden, raised chickens, sold eggs and started a lifelong hobby of having tropical fish.

After graduating from San Mateo High School in 1942 he entered UC Berkeley, where he pledged the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity and subsequently volunteered for the Army Air Corps. He studied navigation and meteorology at UC Berkeley, completed flight training in Texas, played clarinet in the Air Corps band and still managed to graduate with a bachelors degree in 1946. It was also that year he married Barbara Treganowen, a Berkeley graduate from San Francisco whom he had met at a college dance. The young couple built a house in San Mateo after briefly living in San Francisco while Clarence began his long career with the food processor Libby, McNeil and Libby.

Clarence and Barbara had two children by the time they relocated to Menlo Park in 1950, and he continued with Libby‘s which included spending 18 months in France locating and constructing a tomato cannery. During this time he began farming olives outside of Visalia, where he would move his family in 1968 to accept a position with Lindsay Olive Company.

He was able to realize his life long dream of becoming a full-time farmer in 1976 growing olives, oranges and plums. His beloved wife of 46 years died in 1992.

Clarence was fortunate to find love a second time with Janet Flynn, and they married in 1993. He and Janet had a wonderful life together -- traveling, socializing and farming -- until she passed away earlier this year.

He was a founding director of Mineral King Bank, a foreman of The Grand Jury and a board member of Exeter Ivanhoe Citrus Association. He maintained many friendships and never wanted to miss a social event, but what he enjoyed most was a brown bag lunch on a warm day under an olive tree in the middle of one of his groves.

Clarence had an excellent team of caregivers and he was particularly fond of Sharon Pendergrass whom he nicknamed “Blondie.” He died at home and is survived by his daughter, Susan McEntee (Brendan) and granddaughter, Mara McEntee of Lafayette; son, Bart Hill of Long Beach; granddaughters Elizabeth Montoya (Jaime) of Bethesda, Maryland (children- Violeta and Sofia) and Paige Baschuk (Bryce) of Geneva, Switzerland (children-Grant and Dean); stepsons, Michael Flynn (Melodi) of Visalia (children-Laird and Charlotte) and Trevor Flynn of Visalia.

Services will be held at 10:30AM on Friday, November 14th at First Presbyterian Church, 215 North Locust St., Visalia. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Clarence Hill to the Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation or the California Ag Leadership Foundation.