Rudy Hillinga

1928 - 2016

Rudy (Roelof) Hillinga

At the ripe old age of 88, Rudy Hillinga passed away quietly in his home this month. He was surrounded by loved ones and had excellent care. Rudy was born in Sukabumi, Indonesia in 1928. He survived living in the Japanese prison camps and after World War 2, he moved to Holland where he was reunited with his mom and siblings. Rudy always worked hard and had a drive like no other. At one point in his life, he spoke 7 languages nearly fluently. Rudy was very proud to immigrate to the United States in 1957. Soon after arriving, Rudy was hired by Boeing, first as an engineer and then a few years later, as a commercial aircraft salesman. With his wife Helena, Rudy lived in many countries throughout his career- India, South Africa, Australia, and Germany. His children also enjoyed living abroad and traveling the world with him. "Rudy grams", long letters recommending a list of things that Boeing management should do or change, was something Rudy became quite famous for at the company, even after he retired. Rudy always had a fascinating story to tell about how he was able to sell jets to global airlines. After retiring from Boeing in 1989, Rudy worked for a small aircraft leasing company in Atlanta. After that, he worked for his favorite airline...Lufthansa. At Lufthansa, Rudy was responsible for selling used 747's. These were some of the planes that he had sold brand new to Lufthansa when he was their Boeing salesman rep. This is one of Rudy's many "crowing achievements" as he himself stated. Rudy was a practical man but he also had a fabulous sense of humor and loved animals. In his old age, Rudy enjoyed watching Seinfeld and listening to Dixieland Jazz. He also loved seeing plays and International films. Once a week for about 15 years, Rudy attended a Humanist meeting and also attended a small political debate club. He loved discussing global issues. Rudy was a great cook, especially Indonesian food. Eating was pretty much his form of exercise. If he read this, Rudy would say, "Yah. Sure. Why not?!" He was unabashed and endearing.

Rudy is survived by his wife Helena M. of 60 years of marriage, his daughters, and two adoring grandchildren. In lieu of flowers please consider a small donation to Evergreen Health Hospice, Art with Heart, or PAWS.