Ernest E. Hill

Ernest Hill, a resident of Danville, died Dec. 7. He was 94.

Born and raised in Oakland, Hill attended high school there and studied mechanical engineering at UC Berkeley. With the outbreak of WWII, he became a captain in the Army Air Force and served in the U.S. and South Pacific. After the war, he worked in the high voltage power business as a plant supervisor and in the mid-'50s began working at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He went back to UC Berkeley and received a master’s in nuclear engineering and spent his career working in nuclear energy and safety, including serving as an engineering division leader at LLNL. He also served as an administrative judge for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

He married Bettejean Hill in March 1942. They raised three boys and then welcomed three daughters-in-law and grandchildren into the family. The family remembers Hill's enthusiasm for opera and classical music, outdoor adventures on the California coast and mountains, skiing, Hawaii, woodworking, his yard and house, as well as his engagement in math, science, engineering and the world around him. Clark and his wife Bette were married for 72 years.

Hill is survived by sons, Eric and Steve, daughters-in-law, Beverly, Sandy and Christine, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren, and seven nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife, Bettejean, a son, Larry and his two brothers, Kenneth and Terrell.

Hill had a good and long life as a husband, father, grandpa, super-gramps and engineer. He requested that there be no funeral or memorial service. The family thanks Gentiva Hospice and Brookdale at Diablo Lodge for the excellent care they provided. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Ernest E. Hill Fellowship, c/o UC Davis Foundation, One Shields Avenue, Davis, California 95616.