Walter Hill

Pie Hill, the Man, the Myth, the Legend...

Walter Coleman "Pie" Hill released his worn out body peacefully on December 2, 2021.

Pie was born January 18, 1943 in Portsmouth, Virginia and grew up near Annapolis at Belvoir in Crownsville, Maryland. He attended McDonogh Military School, The American School in London, Texas A&M University (history major), and Troy State University in Germany (Master's in Public Administration).

Pie served 20 years in the US Air Force as a helicopter pilot, B-52 bomber pilot, and F-105 fighter pilot. He served 2 tours in Vietnam, flew over 100 missions, and was highly decorated, including the Meritorious Service Award.

After his Air Force retirement, Pie went to Sierra Vista, AZ, in 1989 with AAI Corporation, promoting the Pioneer UAV. He worked 22 years for TRW/Northrop Grumman in Sierra Vista, as Hunter UAV Flight Line Manager/Engineer. As a civilian contractor supervising Unmanned Air Vehicles, he served in Germany, Macedonia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Israel.

Pie loved history, and took great joy in taking his family to historical places across North America and Europe. When he lived in Germany, he gave the Verdun, France, historical talk on bus tours.

In Sierra Vista, Pie had some notoriety as the Unnamed Civilian Contractor who accidentally sent a UAV to Mexico, causing an international incident. He helped to manage a Babacamori incident when a stray piece of UAV startled a mule, suddenly increasing the value of the mule to $10,000.

Pie was well known for his sense of humor and his quick wit. He dedicated his life to serving his country, protecting military personnel, and had a lifelong identity as a Fighter Pilot. His passions included fly fishing, cooking, gardening, bird watching, weather stations, collecting clocks, Celebrate Recovery, and giving people rides in his boat in the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence River.

Pie was a follower of Jesus Christ, served as an Episcopalian Alter Boy, taught Sunday School, was an early member of Thunder Mountain Church, and most recently attended LifeHouse Church in Sierra Vista.

He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Gay Byington Hill; siblings Bryan Rogers Hill and Denise Boyce Hill Mitchell; children Reagan Coleman Hill, Julia Elizabeth Schulte (step-daughter), Ginese Mae Hill Quann, Charles Warren Hill, and Suzanne Coleman Hill; three grandchildren, Ellie Jane Hill, Charles Warren Hill Jr., Luke Coleman Hill; and his dog, Doodles.

Internment with full military honors will be December 21st at 12 noon at Southern Arizona Veterans Memorial Cemetery followed by 1 pm Celebration of Life at LifeHouse Church, 1136 Taylor Drive, Sierra Vista, AZ.

Instead of flowers, please consider donating to Pie’s beloved fly fishing group, ProjectHealingWaters.org. Also see JensensSierraVistaMortuary.com to post memories.

Closed casket, as Pie lost so much weight from his battle with CHF, COPD, kidney failure and pneumonia, that he would want us to remember him as the robust fighter pilot that he was.

Dress code for Pie's Celebration of Life will be polo shirt and slacks, no suit coats/blazers, no neckties, and RED UNDERWEAR to match what Pie is wearing under his Air Force dress blue uniform in his casket.

Pie always was a maverick...

mav·er·ic/ˈmav(ə)rik/noun: maverick 1.an unorthodox or independent-minded person.

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