William “Bill” Lee Hiner, USAF retired Brigadier General, passed away February 20th, 2021. A Private service will be held on May 7th, 2021 at 2:30 PM at Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery at 2617 Vinson Highway in Milledgeville. Chaplain Paul Evans will officiate. A visitation/reception will be held that afternoon at 4:30 PM at Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Bass Road. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758516, Topeka, KS 66675.
By the age of 10, Bill was working the pastures and raising award winning cattle in the Shenandoah Valley. Although he initially planned on becoming a veterinarian, he answered the nation's call of duty and entered the Air Force after graduating from Virginia Tech University in 1958. In 1961, he was assigned to Strategic Air Command flying B-47s at Lincoln AFB Nebraska. It was there he met the love of his life Valerie, to whom he remained married for 55 years.
A highly decorated combat pilot with over 4500 hours of flight time, he became Chief of Strategy to the Office of Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Readiness at the Pentagon in 1978. Shortly after, he was selected to command the USAF Officer Training School. It was there that Bill attained what he considered to be his highest award: "Boss of the Year - San Antonio, Texas". In 1982 he was given command of the world's largest pilot training base - Williams AFB, Arizona. He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1984 and assigned as Chief Defense and Air Attache Latin America stationed at the US Embassy, Brazil. In 1988, he returned to the Pentagon as the Deputy Director of International Plans, retiring quickly after he remembered how much he did not care for the traffic and D.C. politics.
In retirement, Bill spent many years continuing his love/ hate relationship with golf. Despite 2 hole-in-ones, he never ceased his attempts to master the game. When asked what makes him smile, his reply was "My family and a good golf shot." In addition to being a pilot and avid golfer, Bill was also a master furniture maker and carpenter.
Even after his military career, he continued to lead his family on many amazing adventures throughout the world; leaving us with cherished memories of a husband, father, grandfather, brother, and American hero.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents, William Kemper and Lucille Elizabeth Roudabush Hiner.
He is survived by his wife, Valerie Nelson Hiner; son, Brandon J. Hiner (Ann); grandchildren, Kemper and Riley Hiner; siblings, Betty Hiner Simmons, Ann Hiner Jones (Don) and C. Alan Hiner; brothers-in-law, Brian Nelson and James Nelson (Dina); and sister-in-law, Barbara Schaefer (John).
Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express tributes.
Snow’s Memorial Chapel, Bass Road, has charge of arrangements.
