Henry William Hills

Henry William Hills, 77, of Bolton, beloved husband of Rosemary Hills for 37 years, passed away at home on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Henry was born on November 12, 1947, in Willimantic, Connecticut. The only child of the late William Henry and Valeria Ruth (McCourry) Hills, he was raised in Hebron and was a graduate of Windham Technical High School.
He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1968 and was stationed in South Korea, where he proudly served his country for two years during the Vietnam War.
He studied electronics, leading him to employment at Hamilton Sundstrand, an aerospace and industrial products company, and a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation. Henry worked for over 26 years as an Electronics Inspector, diligently inspecting intricate circuit panels designed for military and commercial planes. He also enjoyed participating in his workplace bowling league, where he was known for his signature style on the lanes.
After retiring, Henry began working at Capitol Garage Dealership in Willimantic. At the family-owned dealership, he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to drive vehicles with the newest "bells and whistles" and state-of-the-art technology. His patient and easy-going personality made him a favorite with the DMV when he showed up with paperwork for new registrations.
Henry was a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish, attending St. Bernard Church in Rockville. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus, Council 4122, and was also an ACTS Brother, serving as a steward and team member to plan and deliver retreat experiences for Catholic men. These communities gave him the opportunity to serve others and share his faith.
Henry was always young at heart and a bit of a daredevil. Growing up, he spent his summers in Burnsville, North Carolina hanging out with all his cousins. As a young man, he was a member of a van club. He loved machines – building motors with his dad as a kid, tooling around in an open field on an ATV, riding on the back of a motorcycle with his dad, and later riding on one of his own. He loved his baby blue Jeep Wrangler, and later a black 2-door, long-body Jeep, and finally a little red 1963 Corvette.
Along with his love of classic cars and Harleys, Henry enjoyed listening to classic rock, especially live bands. His favorite activities included car shows, swap meets, monster truck rallies, the annual bike week adventures, and charity motorcycle rides. If there was a good rock band playing, that was even better. He loved Tran-Siberian Orchestra, UConn Women's Basketball, and everything about Disney World.
Above all, Henry loved his family. Nothing caused him to light up more than his children – from the moment his firstborn was placed in his arms to the joy of hearing "Hi Dad, I'm here to see you," during their visits. He was a devoted husband and father who found his purpose in life through his family.
In addition to his loving wife, Rosemary, he leaves his three children, Alisa Easley and her spouse, Alex, of Wasilla, AK, Kathleen Hills of Queens, NY and Michael Hills of Boston, MA; his sister-in-law and her husband, Joyce and Bob Brisson, his nephew and godson, Bobby Brisson, his niece, Julie Brisson, his aunts, uncles and many cousins in North Carolina, and his trusted shepherd mix, Amber, who was a faithful, furry companion for over 10 years.
Henry's family would like to extend heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to all who were part of his and Rosemary's world in recent years for their care, compassion, and service: St. Francis Hospital, Hospital for Special Care, Mansfield Nursing Center, Masonicare Home Health Agency, our town heroes serving on the Bolton fire department, EMT and ambulance teams, and especially personal caregivers and companions.
Visitation will be from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at St. Bernard Church, 25 St. Bernard Terrace, Rockville, CT 06066, on Thursday, September 18, 2025, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am. At the request of his family, inurnment will be private in St. Bernard Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Brain Injury Alliance of America www.biausa.org. or to the Bolton Volunteer Fire Department, 168 Bolton Center Road, Bolton, CT 06043. Ladd-Turkington & Carmon Funeral Home in Vernon has care of the arrangements. To leave a condolence, please visit www.carmonfuneralhome.com