- Date Of Birth: March 24, 1943
- Date Of Death: January 26, 2017
- State: Florida
Dartha Gayle Hilbert was born March 24, 1943 in Gainesville, Texas (north of Dallas close to the OK line). It was here that she went to grade school and high school. Her father was the mayor of Gainesville and a land developer.
She married Bob McDaniel who was in the Air Force. They spent time in Japan where she worked with an insurance company. When they moved back to Los Angeles, her daughter Diane was born 8/18/1969 in Long Beach.
Dartha worked at Patrick Air Force Base for many years. In 1971 she married Bobby Hilbert (who worked at the Cape) and they enjoyed 42 years of marriage. At first they lived in Merritt Island and they cared for her father until he died. They moved to Suntree in 1996. Her positions at Patrick included working Instrumentation Radar Support Program (IRSP) in support of NASA and other government agencies. One of her more interesting positions was in the program implementing features of the START Treaty and “taking care of the Russians” who would have to inspect sites (and then Dartha would have to take them to the Base Exchange for Levi jeans!)
While at Patrick she also worked towards and completed her bachelor’s degree from Rollins College in Orlando. When she “retired” then she really began working! Her occupations included running the Chaplain’s Office for Good News Prison Ministry at Sharpes Jail; quilting (and even competing with Seaside Quilters); volunteering at St.
She is survived by her loving husband Bobby of Suntree and her daughter Diane of Gainesville, TX Also survived by numerous cousins (for whom she always embroidered baby quilts).
