Harry L. Hilleary Jr.

Hilleary, Harry L., Jr. died peacefully August 18, 2010. Beloved husband of the late Frances Ann Hilleary (nee Flood); dearest son of the late Harry L., Sr. and Minnie (nee Stewart) Hilleary; beloved father of Anne Hilleary, Christine (Doyle) Gustus, Joan (Charles) Forrest and Nancy (William) Stoner; dear grandfather of Abby and Byron Gustus, Ben, Dan and Sam Forrest, and Matt, Brad, Kevin and Holly Stoner; brother of the late Donald (Lucy) Hilleary; uncle, great-uncle, cousin and friend. Harry was a very accomplished man. He was captain of his basketball team and president of his class at Webster Groves High School. He attended Cornell University on an academic scholarship, where he earned a degree in chemical engineering. His schooling was split by duty as U.S. Navy officer during World War II. From Cornell, Hilleary went to the Standard Oil organization and began a rapid ascent up the corporate ladder. But, being a man of many interests, he began reading a little labor law. This only whetted his interest further. Soon he was attending St. Louis University School of Law in his free time and, in 1954, he graduated with honors at the head of his law class. Further broadening his horizons, soon he was entering into partnerships that bought unsuccessful restaurants and turned them into profitable operations. This led to the creation of the highly successful Flaming Pit steak houses. His formula for a wonderful dining experience set his establishments apart from the competition. Eventually, there were more than a dozen Flaming Pits and several offshoots of the steak house in other parts of the country. Harry closed his last Flaming Pit in Florida last year. Harry fell in love with the girl next door in Webster Groves. Married in 1945, they had 58 wonderful years together and were blessed with four daughters and nine grandchildren. Harry will be missed by family, friends and colleagues, but most of all by his daughters. Services: Memorial Service 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 21, 2010, in the Chapel of O'SULLIVAN MUCKLE MORTUARY, 13996 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, MO. Visitation 9:00 until time of service. In lieu of flowers, donations to Epilepsy Foundation, 164 Crestwood Plaza, Suite 100, St. Louis, MO 63126, Attn: Joan or Moog Center for Deaf Education, 12300 South Forty Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141 preferred. Interment Bellefontaine Cemetery.