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John Hillyer Memoriam
June 7, 1936 - April 28, 2025
John Whitfield Hillyer, 88, a long careered sportswriter in both Chicago and San Francisco, and dedicated supporter of the arts, passed away on April 28, 2025 in San Francisco after a brief illness.
John was born on June 7, 1936 in Evanston, IL, to parents Whitfield and Elinor (nee Thompson) Hillyer. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958 from the University of Michigan, majoring in journalism.
John was a sportswriter for the San Francisco Examiner from 1978-1996.
John is survived by his son Michael of Glenview, IL; son Robert (Jamie) of Tucker, GA; brother Stephen of Chicago, IL; grandchildren Caroline, Vivienne, and Jonathan of Tucker, GA, and longtime companion Charlene Thomas of San Francisco, CA.
A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, July 25, 2025 from 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM at Wm. H. Scott Funeral Home, 1100 Greenleaf Ave, Wilmette, IL 60091. Inurnment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery, 9900 Gross Point Rd, Skokie, IL 60076 at 2:00 PM.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Peninsula Humane Society, 1450 Rollins Rd, Burlingame, CA 94010.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for John Hillyer
1 Entry
Mike O'Hara
May 11, 2025
Mr. Hillyer was an excellent sportswriter and clearly a man of many talents....and accomplishments.. RIP
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