- Date Of Birth: June 21, 1928
- Date Of Death: March 12, 2019
- State: Michigan
Elise Christine Hillman, age 90, passed away on March 12, 2019, in Kalamazoo. Elise was born June 21, 1928, in Kalamazoo, MI, the daughter of Samuel and Wilma (Wiles) Thor. A lifelong resident of Michigan, Elise grew up on her family farm in Keeler near Sister Lakes. She graduated from Dowagiac Union High School in 1946 and studied at Western Michigan University. On February 28, 1947, she was united in marriage to Thomas ‘Tom’ Albert Hillman.
At the age of 40, Elise returned to college to earn an Associate degree in Accounting from Southwestern Michigan Community College and launched a career as a bank auditor. She later went on to receive an Associate degree in Bank Administration from Lake Michigan College.
Elise was a caring person who walked in the light and love of God, and who valued and respected everyone she encountered. Many lives have been positively shaped by her unparalleled ability to listen and provide guidance with compassion. Elise credited her own mother with teaching her important lessons about humility and acceptance, noting that she told her “you can always find something good to like about anyone… even if it’s the color of their socks.” Elise was a longtime active member of Westwood United Methodist Church, where she participated in the Emmaus and mission program and church choir. Elise was deeply committed to community involvement, serving over the years as a Girl Scout leader and leader trainer, 4-H club organizer, and a volunteer with the guardianship program for Van Buren County Department of Human Services. In 2006, Elise received an award from the State of Michigan for her 8 years of service as a Senior Companion with Kalamazoo Senior Services.
Music was a lifelong talent and passion for Elise. From an early age, Elise dreamed of being an actress and a singer and began to accompany her father on the piano as he played melodies, jigs, and reels on his fiddle. Elise performed in countless school plays, concerts, and community theatre productions, and as a teenager was known to support her musical hobbies by giving piano lessons or using her babysitting money to purchase sheet music. Elise sang with the dance band John Stotts and the Top Hatters for one very special summer and was invited to go on tour. Later, Elise toured with Sweet Adelines and performed for ten years with the Prime Time Players of Kalamazoo.
Elise’s other favorite things to do were making people laugh with her clever jokes, coloring, reading mysteries and historical fiction, eating ice cream, watching television, attending family reunions and luncheons, and using FaceTime to chat with her loved ones. She found great solace and joy in the words of Psalm 23.
Elise was preceded in death by her husband Tom on January 4, 2018, after 70 years of marriage. She was also preceded in death by her parents and brother Edven Thor, and her granddaughter Tina Pate.
When asked to choose one word to describe her life prior to her passing, Elise responded “Happy.” She continued, “We [Tom and I] have always found ourselves where God has had a purpose for us.”
Elise is survived, and deeply missed, by her five daughters Linda (Charles) Lintner, Karen (Nick) Yelaca, Kathleen Hillman, Cheryl (James) LaCava, Carolyn (Vaughn) Wolf; 12 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; 13 great-great-grandchildren; and beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, and countless friends.
