Remembering Maureen Hill
From son Rob Hill's posting
“I’m available.”
It’s the last known sentence uttered by Maureen Patricia Noonan Hill, our guiding light, our hero, our rock, our role model, before she slipped into her final rest, joining her beloved husband Patrick.
It is a fitting thought on which she would leave this earth. Her departure seems premature to those who knew and loved her, despite her 84 years of life, because it truly seemed she would live forever. She remained until the end not merely self sufficient and independent but almost superhuman in her “availability.”
The words of a family hero Jackie Robinson guided her life: “A life is only important in the impact that it has on other lives.” By baseball measures, her life was a home run, a perfect game, an all-star season, and a Hall of Fame Career.
While many pages could be written of her as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother, for now we save those words to hold close in our own hearts. As amazing as she was in those roles, it was a small part of her story and the tip of the iceberg of her giving and her impact. Her volunteerism, her support of the vulnerable and the marginalized, and her generosity in her community were voluminous and varied. And they were so humbly and quietly offered that we expect that we will long be hearing of acts of service and kindness and generosity, her support of causes of peace and justice, and her impact on her communities that we didn’t even know about. When there was a need, she was almost always “available.”
She was an OG Badass Woman. And “Badass Nana” leaves a legacy of children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who will be forever guided by her example, who will often ask themselves “What Would Badass Nana Do?” Though her earthly heart beat for the final time yesterday, her servant’s heart will continue to impact for generations to come.
Maureen would want you to honor her in any way that is meaningful to you, but may we suggest that an act of service or generosity to someone in need, offered in her memory, would be the most meaningful to her. A donation to a cause close to your own heart is wonderful, and if you would like to make a donation to a cause close to hers, may we suggest Legal Immigrant Services of Olympia at http://www.lisowa.org/donate.
— The proud descendants of Maureen and the legatees of Badass Nana.