Jack Ray Hill

Jack Ray Hill, 77, of Stamford passed away on December 26, 2009 at an Abilene hospital.  Funeral services will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at the Tankersley Funeral Home Chapel in Stamford with Revs. Don Clevenger and Shannon Waters officiating. Military graveside rites will follow in the Highland Memorial Cemetery in Stamford.  The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home on Monday from 5 until 7 p.m.


Jack was born December 10, 1932 in Nacogdoches, TX to Oliver Ray and Ollie Mae Hill.  He moved to Albany as a child and graduated high school there.  Jack married Juanita Joyce Terrell on June 29, 1950 in Stamford and they lived in Stamford until his entering the Air Force in 1952.  Jack spent 20 years in the United States Air Force until his retirement in 1972.  During his time in the service they lived in Waco, TX, Biloxi, MI, Tacoma, WA, and San Antonio, TX with three tours in Viet Nam and one in Tripoli, North Africa where he was the Crew chief on T-29’s.  During the Presidency of Richard M. Nixon, Jack served as Crew Chief on Air Force One for General Vansickle who was touring the country as chief of Air Force recruiting from 1964 until 1965.  The last plane he flew in while in the active service was a T-29.  This plane (tail # 1177) is on display in the main gate entrance at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, TX.  He flew this plane from McCord Air Force Base in Tacoma, Washington to its permanent in home at Dyess.  Jack was a member of the Stamford Veterans of Foreign Wars and was a faithful volunteer for the Stamford V.I.P. program while his health permitted.  He was of the Pentecostal religion.
He was preceded in death by his parents, 2 daughters, Carol Waters and Pamela Joyce Hill, 1 son, Roy Eugene Hill, 1 brother, J. H. Hill, 1 sister, Velma Snyder and 1 grandson, Christopher Ryan  Hill Richardson.
He is survived by his wife, Juanita Joyce Terrell Hill of Stamford, 2 sons, James Ray Hill and wife Cara of Clyde, David Allen Hill and wife Sharon of Randlett, Oklahoma, and 1 daughter, Patricia Hill of Stamford, 1 brother, Arnold Lee Hill and wife Annette of Big Lake, TX, 16 grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.