Delmar Ray Hiller

Delmar Ray Hiller was born February 28, 1936, in Miles, Texas to William Adolph and Ella Alma Wilhelmina Elkins Hiller and grew up in San Angelo, proudly a native Texan with German, British and Swedish ancestry. Delmar passed away on Sept. 29, 2025. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Willie E. Hiller and sister Joyce Laverne Bretting.

Delmar was Drum Major at Lakeview High School in San Angelo for three years and won a full college scholarship. He attended Sul Ross College, where he played saxophone and clarinet in the Glenn Miller style dance band and was drum major of the college band for three years. He was a business major. He met Sherry Harp, one of the majorettes in the SR band from Crystal City, Texas. They married July 13, 1957, at the First Presbyterian Church in Crystal City. It was an enduring marriage full of love, fun, friendship and adventure, with the two always on the same tune.

They lived in Uvalde briefly and then in Rockport for 27 years, where he was a three-term mayor of Rockport, senior mortgage loan officer at United Savings of Texas at the Rockport branch office, and then at the main office in Corpus Christi. He was an instrumental leader in Rockport in the 70s, heading up the City of Rockport Planning and Zoning board and Rockport Centennial. He soon owned Security Real Estate in Rockport and was General Manager in the development of Rockport Country Club. He was very active in Rotary Club and served as Deacon and Trustee as First Presbyterian Church. He had the honor of being commissioned an Admiral in the Honorary Texas Navy by Governor Preston Smith in 1970. Delmar has commented that he had the distinction of having Rockport declared a national disaster three times when he was Mayor, due to three different hurricanes. Early on he was a member of the Naval Reserve and later transferred to the Army Reserve, attending cruises and then army training, developing many emergency survival skills.

The Hillers bought Goat Creek Ranch near Kerrville in 1983 and moved there in 1986, then a year later 13 miles upriver to Hunt, the beautiful Texas Hill Country. He had an office in Hunt from 1987-2023 and carried a Broker's license for over 50 years. He developed subdivisions and sold ranch land. He also developed a state approved water system and was General Manager of the system, serving the two subdivisions that he developed on the Frio River in Real County, RiverTree and Frio River Place. He was active in Rotary Club in Rockport and Kerrville and was a Paul Harris Fellow.

Delmar was an active member in The Sons of the Republic of Texas, Chapter #48, Fredericksburg, Texas and was qualified for Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred on his mother's Elkins/ DeMoss ancestry. He valued knowing he had three ancestors with original Texas land grants from 1823, and 1841. His DeMoss ancestors came to Texas in 1823 with Stephen F. Austin.

After moving to the Hill Country, the Hillers were active members of the Texas Rock Art Foundation and White Shaman Preserve, a part of the Witte Museum, believing in the preservation of the amazing ancient rock art in the Lover Pecos Canyons of Texas. The Hillers hiked and climber ladders and ropes into many amazing caves and rock shelters to admire the amazing paintings thousands of years old. Delmar and Sherry also enjoyed camping and Rving for almost 40 years, visiting many states.

They also enjoyed traveling to interior Mexico many times, also to Germany, Austria, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, and France. In 2018, several families joined them for a wonderful trip to the British Isles, England, Scotland and Ireland.

Camping and Dutch oven cooking were great adventure, and Delmar was camp ''cookie''. He enjoyed woodworking, gardening, and was a Texas history buff. Delmar was very thoughtful, caring and soft-spoken. He was a careful listener, a gentle man. He had a high degree of ethics, and was always fair and low key, and he made many good friends along the way.

Surviving family includes Delmar's wife, Sherry, and the Hiller's three children, Scott M. Hiller and wife Gabriele Groepl Hiller, Dolph A. Hiller and wife Valerie Ovenden Hiller, and Julie M. Hiller Engelke and husband Don Engelke, and grandchildren and great grandchildren include Scott's son Jackson D. Hiller and his son Griffin, Dolph's daughter Elexie Ray and husband Dustin Johnson and their son Rowen Lex, Julie's daughter Sherry Nicole Weatherly Goodman and husband Kevin Goodman and their daughter Mackenzie Kate, Julie's son Philip Clayton Weatherly and wife Sarah Strahorn Weatherly and their sons Philip Waylon, William James (aka WillieJames) and Wyatt Jacob.

Delmar greatly admired and loved his family very much, and a happy 68-year marriage was woven into the family. He was proud that his family all have love and respect for each other, wonderful communication, and love getting together often for cook outs, fun camping, traveling and tale telling. Delmar and Sherry are members of First United Methodist Church, Hunt, Texas.

Grimes Funeral Chapels is in charge of Kerrville arrangements. A service at the St. John's Lutheran Church will be held in the Spring, with interment at St. John's Cemetery, also known as Becker or Back 'O Mountain, Priddy, Texas. He is the fourth generation of the Hiller family to be interred there, including Delmar's parents, his grandparents John Wilhelm and Elizabeth Mueller Hiller, William David and Minna Marwitz Elkins, and his great grandparents William August Marwitz and Maria Wilhelmina Niemann Marwitz.

The family is very appreciative of the Care Team at Sid Peterson Hospital in Kerrville. and special thanks to Dr. Young, Dr. Halloran, nurses Miranda, Irmalinda, Perla, Berta, Illena, and Brandon and the Hospice group. And thank you to Dr. Michael Grocki.

Memorials in Delmar R. Hiller's name would be appreciated at Zion Lutheran Church, P. O. Box B, Priddy, Texas 76870.