John Hilton
John claimed any self-respecting Irishman best be able to tell an entertaining story. I hope I can tell his tale with enough charm and color to give you a sense of the depth of his character…his wife, Pat
The Beginning:
John was born August 13,1945 and grew up in a tough Chicago neighborhood wildly straddling the two worlds of big city kid and rural cowboy.
Under the guidance of his parents, Josephine and Arthur, he learned to live with a fun-loving heart, to never give up and champion those he cared for. He ran the streets with brother Jim as other siblings…JoAnn, Bill and Rich…endured his impetuous ways.
He graduated Kelly High School with an insatiable appetite for learning and went on to receive a master’s degree from SIU Carbondale.
Coming from a large extended Irish family, St. Patrick’s Day was John’s favorite holiday and he carried that into his adult years with his own children and grandchildren.
The Middle:
John lived a full and varied life in Missouri…..family man, educator, college administrator, professional musician, horseman, motorcycle enthusiast, photographer, camp host, gardener, curious adventurer and world traveler. He made his livelihood for many years by being attuned to the needs of others.
John worked at Mineral Area College for 27 years in the audio visual department, Learning Center, as a photography and touring cycling instructor. When I met him, he was Director of Continuing Education.
1992 found John on one of his biggest adventures. With partner Tom, he retraced the 1804-06 journey of Lewis and Clark in three and a half months starting in St. Louis and ending at Fort Clatsop in Oregon. Gaining national publicity, Tom and John were the first team to retrace Lewis and Clark’s historic 4,000 mile expedition by boat, canoe, bicycle and horseback.
He was an accomplished musician of over 40 years playing in scores of local bands. His signature songs were Blackbird, Over the Rainbow, Sultans of Swing and Troubadour. His latest trio was The Ridge Runners.
John married me in 1998 and became co-host at our off-the-grid Nature Sanctuary singing and telling stories around the campfire and meeting every camper’s need with genuine generosity.
John wholly cherished his grandchildren. They were his light. He was an amazing Grandpa with belly laughs, dancing and rowdy play time; teaching chess, guitar, basketball and carpentry skills.
John did not realize the breadth and depth of his influence on his family and friends. He was a true gentleman who cared more about the welfare of others than himself.
The End:
In 2002 John was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.
My husband was a fighter and rarely complained. He moved through each health trial with the dignity of a warrior. We shared a powerfully personal experience that solidified our soul bond as he recovered from each surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
My sweet man made his transition February 26, 2018 at home surrounded by family and friends playing music and singing. There is a vacancy in the world…a magical presence has departed. John will be sharing his music and laughter from the other side. He will be deeply missed.
Survivors include his wife Pat, daughter Collyn and her husband Pablo, son John, and son Christopher from his first marriage to Sue, Maggie (step-daughter) and her husband Ed. And seven grandchildren.
John’s Celebration of Life is March 24 1-5 in Kirkwood.
“May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
May the rains fall upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the hollow of His hand.”
Irish blessing
thank you for being here…Pat, his wife
I am so very sorry for your loss. Your writing is beautiful and captures John’s being, spirit and soul perfectly. I will continue to hold you both in love and light
I am so grateful that I was able to meet my cousin John as an adult when he would come out to California to visit his family. I will miss seeing him and hearing his stories and his music.
You’ve shared a beautiful story of our cousin’s life. Thank you! He gave so much to those around him. I didn’t see him much since I was one of his California cousins, though I heard about all his exciting adventures. I actually saw him more in the last decade than I ever did, and got to sing along with him and his guitar. What a special person.
Dorothy O’Hara (95 yrs old), Josephine Hilton’s sister:
Since Colyn, ,John’s daughter, lives in California, we were able to visit with him when he was on the west coast. It was always great to see him.
Your story of my nephew’s life (and the photos) were so touching and loving. Thank you for sharing.
May you rest in peace John!
Pat & family,
This is a beautiful tribute to John. What a pleasure it was to be his friend. His twinkling Irish eyes and mischievous grin spread fun and laughter wherever he went. I treasure my memories of him, beginning with Johnny, Collyn, & Chris parent/teacher conferences. I am so grateful I was able to visit with him at my granddaughters’ BB games in January. Thoughts & prayers, Charlene
What an amazing life and person. Sorry for your loss. Dave
Beautiful tribute, beautiful man, beautiful life.
May all the love in the universe surround you and your family and hold you tight during this time.
All my love, Maggie
What a unique and special Soul???? I feel blessed to have been John’s friend -brought to my life by my Dear Friend, Pat. My heartfelt condolences to his family and family of friends that he is no longer here in physical form…yet I delight along with you all that we had the chance to know and love him. May he forever play on musically and mystically, whispering in our ears, and tickling our funnybones as we reminisce about his adventurous life. Thankfully love moves on beyond space and time and we are together always??????
What a lovely soul…I would love to have met John. So sorry for your loss and that empty space that is looming so large right now. Blessings on you and your family and a kind farewell to your John.
I have some great memories of John and the guys growing up in Garfield Ridge. Rest In Peace John.
Pat & Family,
So very sorry for your loss of an amazing and beautiful man. May John’s spirit help all of you through this difficult time.
In loving friendship,
Katy
I am so sorry for your loss, God Bless you and your family. Rest in peace, John.
What beautiful heartfelt photos with so much love and spirit shining through. Thank you for sharing. I am so sorry for your loss, and know that the love continues. <3
What a lovely and rich life story! Deeply sorry for your loss. Continue to hold you in my prayers.
I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing Pat:( You are such a kind and special lady. I pray for peace and comfort for you and your entire family.
Pat, you succeeded very well in telling your tale. Thanks for sharing John with me. Your in my thoughts.