Plant trees to pay tribute to Oakridge civic leader, businessman Jim Hill

The family of longtime Oakridge civic leader and businessman Jim Hill, who died recently at the age of 95, is asking that he be honored through the planting of trees rather than traditional memorial services.

In his seven decades as a prominent resident of Oakridge, Hill was best known as the generous owner of the local Shell gas station,

where he provided part-time employment for generations of young people. He was deeply involved in all manner of community service, and none more notable than his 39 years on the board of Lane Electric Cooperative and 20-plus years serving Oakridge American Legion Cascade Post 64.

For many who lived in Oakridge-Westfir during the 1950s and 1960s, Hill’s bustling gas station at the intersection of Highway 58 and Crest Drive seemed like the very heart of the community. Today that corner is the site of the Double Trouble coffee drive-through.

Born May 1, 1925, in New Raymer, Colo., James William Hill served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. After his discharge, the year 1951 was a big one for Hill, as he acquired the Oakridge Shell station in February and got married in April.

Dorothy E. Hill, his wife of nearly 70 years, survives him, as do his son, James Hill of Oakridge; two daughters Penny Daugherty of Tucson, Ariz., and Sally McKinney of Eugene; six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He died on Jan. 30. You can read the obituary his family published here. In lieu of a service, the family suggests the planting of trees in Hill’s memory in a national forest.