Marie Hill

Marie Souel Hill: 2 October 1936 – 12 August 2024
Her Heavenly Father -- impatient to have a favored daughter home -- called Marie Hill to his side on Monday,12 August 2024. Cause of death was a life lived to its fullest. At 87, she walked in every beauty of faith, family, and friendship.
Seven weeks shy of her eighty-eighth birthday, Marie died peacefully in her sleep at her daughter Jacqueline's home, a week after attending her last music concert with friends, two days after dancing at her great-granddaughter's sixteenth birthday celebration, a day after driving herself to Sunday service at Pilgrim Baptist, and the morning after an evening of conversation with family – while getting her hair braided at the kitchen counter – talking about recent Olympic performances, presidential politics, crossword puzzle strategies and the soulful lyrics of Irma Thomas. Three pieces of correspondence, stamped and sealed, were on her nightstand waiting to be mailed on the morning to which she did not awaken. Hers was an end without a fade.
Ms. Hill, nee' Souel, was matriarch to a fabulous sprawling family; beloved mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, mother-in-law, work colleague and friend. She was born in Arkansas City, Arkansas in 1936 and moved with her family to Columbus, OH in 1940. The fifth child of Charles and Goldie Skinner Souel, Marie was the last surviving sibling of eight; pre-deceased by Esker, Louis, Nettie, Roosevelt, Betty, Charlene and Eugene, and was loved also by first cousins, Maxine Taylor (Benton Harbor, MI), Henry and Maureen (both deceased).
Loving evidence of Marie and her legacy are embodied by her daughters Diana (Joseph) Francis and Jacqueline (Robert) Downey, sons Michael Hill, Tyrone Souel (deceased), and Daniel and Darryl Hill, niece Tina Jennings, and Ms. Dorothy Ragland, who was Marie's cherished friend and confidante. She will be missed fussing over and being fussed over by 12 grandchildren and 71 "next children" (great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews including three great-great-grandchildren).
Marie was comfortably present with her loving God and spoke daily with Jesus as an easy friend. She was a faithful and attentive member of the Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church (Pilgrim) family for over 71 years. She was baptized into the flock by Reverend M.J. Mitchell at the age of 17: worshipped under his guidance for thirty-five-plus years; under Rev. Lawrence McNeal for two years; and under the leadership of the Rev. Dr. Elon Meeks for thirty more years prior to the tenure of her present pastor, the Rev. Dr. Rickie L. Lawson, Sr.
"Marie epitomized what a Lady should be", according to her fellow parishioners, "a model in intelligence, fashion, common sense and ambition, especially for the young women of Pilgrim Baptist". She was generous with her time and resources, frequently escorting seniors to church, to shopping and to their medical appointments, saying, "God gave me this car so that I can help others." She was known for financially "blessing" young members of Pilgrim often, especially those returned home on breaks from school. She will be sorely missed for her devotion to the Pilgrim Baptist mission especially for her leading roles with the Nurses Ministry, Travel Ministry, Missionary Ministry and with the Willing Workers Ministry. Marie was fond of saying, "You don't get blessed for doing what you have to do; blessings come from doing what you don't have to do." And this was the talk she walked. Marie Hill was so proud to be part of Pilgrim.
Raised in Fly Town -- an area which touches Victorian Village and the Arena District today -- Marie tried to never miss the raucous summer reunions of the Fly Town neighborhood alumni. Marie graduated from Central High School in Columbus and -- after a decade of work at hotels including the Deshler Hilton and Neil House -- began her 35-year career at the U. S. Postal Service. With the USPS, Marie worked at the Main Office for about a decade before becoming Supervisor at Station "A" in the Short North; her final three years were as Head Postmistress for Ostrander, Ohio.
Almost immediately upon her "retirement" from the Postal Service at the turn of the century, Marie began her seventeen-year career with Johnstone Downey Klein (JDK; later International Risk Consultants, IRC), a boutique trade brokerage. She was renowned in fifty-five cities around the globe for her warm phone manner and her welcoming introductions: first, "It's a great day at JDK", and later, "It's a great place to be at IRC". She would speak at length with overseas callers so as not to put them on hold while waiting. When Mexican, Dutch, Taiwanese, Romanian or other foreign partners eventually visited HQ to be introduced to everyone, it would be common to hear in some accented voice, "Oh, Marie! So pleased to finally meet you. You're the one I already know!"
"Forced to retire" (according to her) at age 82 when IRC was sold. She only grudgingly accepted that she would not to be able to change the new owners in London, U.K., the same way she had changed IRC.
Marie would say to those who wish to walk with her in spirit hence, "VOTE!" You can tithe, give blood, or plant a tree to honor her memory, of course. "But", said she often, " we must vote. It used to be so hard to do."
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