Paul HILL

1933 - 2017

HILL, Paul
Col. Paul Stevens Hill, M.D., (USA, Ret.), 83, formerly of Temple, Texas, died peacefully on January 20, 2017, in the presence of family gathered at his home in Westlake. Dr. Hill was born in Austin on February 10, 1933, to Bobbie and Paul S. Hill. He is survived by his daughter, Donna Hill Clement, son-in-law Frederick L. Clement, and grandchildren Camille and Andrew Clement of Austin; son S. Bruce Hill, daughter-in-law Julie Kovac and her children Jacob, Adair, and Jesse of Conyers, Georgia; former wife Anabeth Hill Arndt of Atlanta, Georgia; brother Lucius Hill and his wife Elaine of Riviera Beach, Florida, and their children Jim, Beth, and Rick; and by his many friends, former patients and medical colleagues in central Texas.

Dr. Hill was an ROTC graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He received his medical training at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, from which he earned his Doctor of Medicine, and at Harvard University, from which he earned a Master of Public Health. He completed a residency in Aerospace Medicine, becoming a flight surgeon in the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam in 1966 and was awarded the Bronze Star, seven service medals, a meritorious commendation, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. His military assignments included Fort Hood, Texas, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Fort Rucker, Alabama, and Fort Monroe, Virginia, where he was the head of the U. S. Army Recruiting Command. Dr. Hill completed a second residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C., specializing in psychiatry, and was then appointed Chief of Psychiatry at Fort Hood, Texas, retiring from active service with the rank of colonel in 1980. He continued practicing psychiatry at Scott & White Hospital in Temple, Texas, where he founded an outpatient day treatment program, founded a drug and alcohol treatment program at Santa Fe Hospital, and served as associate professor of medicine at the Texas A&M School of Medicine. Dr. Hill retired from Scott & White in 1998 and continued practicing psychiatry as a locum tenens throughout the U.S. At the invitation of the Department of Defense in 2004, Dr. Hill was recommissioned at age 71 and deployed to serve U.S. troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom in Baghdad, Iraq, and later at Fort Hood before retiring in 2009.

Dr. Hill married Anabeth Lee Prause of Schulenburg, Texas in 1959. They were married for 50 years. He was a devoted runner, competing in 26 marathons and innumerable short races, and enjoyed cycling in later years. As an avid snow skier, Dr. Hill, joined by his family, took every opportunity to ski, particularly in Taos, New Mexico and Park City, Utah. He was a life-long musician, playing the clarinet in high school, then guitar as an adult. He began singing in choirs in high school and continued to participate in choirs throughout his adult life, singing for many years at First United Methodist Church in Temple. Dr. Hill was an avid reader from historical fiction to mysteries. He may be the only person to have read the entire series of Time-Life books on the Civil War and World War II. In later years, he developed a keen interest in all things western, owning a horse named Amazing Grace and participating in actual cattle drives in Colorado. On one cattle drive, he performed the Heimlich on a choking man, saving his life. On another, heroic efforts by him and others to revive a man after a heart attack were unsuccessful. On still another, he almost died from blood loss after being kicked in the thigh by a horse.

Dr. Hill moved from Temple to Austin in 2012, residing at The Plaza at Querencia and later at Belmont Village in Westlake. Though he spent the last five years of his life with Alzheimer's, he was content and kept his wry sense of wit and humor. He often surprised visitors with insightful observations, questions, or a quick retort. When asked how he was doing, his refrain, "I'm splendid," made everyone smile and became an oft-quoted phrase among his friends and caregivers.

Dr. Hill's family is profoundly grateful to the staff at Belmont Village who provided exceptional care and a joyful environment for him. They also express their thanks to his caregivers from Halcyon Home, particularly to Win Bauman and private caregiver Abdellah Boufares, for their attentiveness and care over the last two months, and to Halcyon Hospice for their assistance and guidance.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Garrison Institute on Aging at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center, which does Alzheimer's research.

A graveside memorial service with military honors followed by inurnment will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, at the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery, 11463 SH 195, Killeen, Texas, the Rev. Dr. David Scheider (Lieutenant Colonel, Chaplain, USA, Retired) presiding.