It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of Denis Michael Hill (born May 24, 1955, in Medford, Massachusetts), who passed away peacefully after a well-fought battle with cancer, at the age of 69 on December 27th, 2024. Denis was in the care of the kind staff of Highland Hospital of Rochester, New York and comforted with love and support to transition into his next life with the encouragement of his family and closest loved ones.
Denis has been reunited in Heaven with his parents, Clarence “Buddy” P. Hill and Catherine “Caddy” M. (Dyer) Hill of Medford, Massachusetts, and his sister, Noreen P. (Hill) Horn and nephew, Dean G. Horn of York Beach, Maine.
He is survived and celebrated by his beloved daughter, Alexandra Hill of Dallas, Texas; treasured cat, Mika, and most cherished human companion, kindest friend, and greatest cheerleader, Leslie Laurie-Nicoll of LeRoy, New York; previous wife and mother to his daughter, Alicia Hill of Salt Lake City, Utah and her two daughters, Yohalis Briceño of Arvada, Colorado, and Angie Carolina Briceño-Genet of Paris, France; siblings, Joanne Hill of York Beach, Maine, Catherine (William) Keenan of York Beach, Maine, MaryBeth (Jody) Shanklin of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Patrice Fogarty of York Beach, Maine; and nieces and nephews, Elizabeth (Horn) Reiter, Patrick Horn and Michael Horn, Catherine “Catie” and Colleen Keenan, Jessica and Cara Fogarty, and Oliver and Grace Shanklin.
Denis knew many achievements over his lifetime. In the early 70’s, he dedicated some of his time to the United States Airforce. Tasked with aircraft maintenance, he was stationed in Northeast Maine at Loring Airforce Base. In 2005, he achieved his educational goal and graduated with his Associates of Science from Bunker Hill Community College. He used his experience of overcoming life’s obstacles as a driving force during his dedicated 14 years of work as a group lead and then manager on duty at the addiction rehabilitation facility, Conifer Park in Upstate New York. In his spare time, he enjoyed being in nature and outdoor activities like fly fishing and camping – especially looking forward to his annual skiing and fishing trips with his closest buddies. He loved listening to music from artists like James Taylor, Phil Collins, and The Police and watching historical documentaries. He had a knack to find the time to pick up other unique projects, whether that be studying how to be a successful hot dog stand operator, being a caretaker of a colony of Adirondack feral cats (and the subsequent descendants), or finding ways to DIY around his house. Additionally, he took great pleasure in capturing good quality photographs through a camera lens with respect to acceptable light settings and good timing. At his core, Denis was a friend who listened and shared, a brother to reminisce and laugh with, a son who appreciated the chance to demonstrate unconditional care, and a companion in life to love the unique and mundane moments equally. Finally, he was a devoted father to his daughter and left her with a sense to always seek out knowledge, to show kindness to yourself, others, and the planet, to be a woman of honor and dignity, and most importantly, to understand that the first thing we always do after we wake up in the morning is to make the bed. Above all else, Denis was, and still is loved by many and will be missed indefinitely.
A funeral Mass is planned and will be held at 11a.m. on Saturday, January 25th, 2025, at St. Christopher Church in York, Maine (4 Barrell Ln, York, ME 03909) to celebrate Denis’ life and to honor his memory.
In lieu of flowers, his daughter asks that you donate to the organization https://scruffcats.org/ who share in Denis’ beliefs that it is our obligation to endeavor to be better…especially for the local community cats.
You will be greatly missed, rest in peace.