Mick Hill: The Loss of a Great Man

By Rhea-Frances Tetley
Staff Writer

 

When a whole community is in shock from the loss of one of its members, it is obvious that person made a significant impact on the community. Well-known long-time resident Mick Hill perished when his Mooney airplane apparently had engine problems on take-off at Woodlake Airport in Tulare County on Saturday morning, May 23.

The respect and admiration expressed by hundreds of community members was amazing, as he had contacts with many aspects of the community: social, bowling, business from the numerous business enterprises he ran, his chamber connections, Rotary, church and volunteer work over the many decades he lived in Crestline.

An eyewitness, mechanic Austin Hammons who lives in the airport area, said that, after the airplane was about 300 feet in the air, he heard the engine misfiring and saw it make a sharp turn. It struck some power lines and crashed in a fireball.

Mick apparently radioed just after takeoff to his friend Howard Griggs, who was also flying in the area at the time, saying something wasn’t right with the plane, and he was going to return to the airport. He made a sharp turn to return to the airport and the plane apparently clipped some power lines, then exploded into a fire ball and crashed to earth, with a big plume of black smoke arising from the crash scene. Because there were live wires, emergency officials could not immediately access the scene.

Local lawyer John Short, who volunteered with Mick at the Crestline Chamber office for years, said Mick and Howard Griggs had flown up to Woodlake Airport to retrieve the plane that Mick had left there while the plane had been being repaired. Howard Griggs took off after him on their flight home.

Another eyewitness said the plane seemed to stall and went down fast. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office and Fire Department responded to the crash near Road 204 and Avenue 336 just before 11 a.m. on Saturday. Officials would not provide details about what caused the crash on Saturday. There were many nearby road closures from the crash on Roads 196, 204 and Avenues 204, 332 and 336 because of safety concerns. The electrical power was not restored in the area until very late that night and in some places not until 5 a.m. Sunday morning. The Federal Aviation Administration took over the crash investigation Saturday afternoon.

Mick Hill’s death was announced Sunday morning at church by Pastor Bill Mellinger with family members in attendance. Mick would have celebrated his 75th birthday in just a couple of weeks. He had just recovered from emergency gall bladder surgery, in Reno. He had told his friends this last week, while he was in town, that he was feeling happy and in the best health he’d been in for years.

Mick is remembered for the many things he did publicly over the decades and by others for the many small differences he made quietly in people’s lives. He was very philanthropic to those in need, often paying bills or handing out cash for a good cause.

One of the big triumphs was during Snowmeggedon when the first truck with food for Goodwin’s Market was stuck on the road trying to get to the store, after days of no food deliveries and closed roads. Goodwin’s sent a truck with a plow in its front, and Mick pushed the stuck big rig, getting it into town after having cleared many roadways himself, with his own snowplow. He did that for the people to get the food, not for any recognition.

Mick had volunteered for years with the Crestline Chamber of Commerce, serving as president and vice president. He stepped away on his 70^th birthday to enjoy life differently, but remained in town, although he was currently building his retirement years’ home in Northern California.

Mick had received many certificates recognizing his achievements. He was Crestline’s 2017 Citizen of the Year and in 2021 was the Jamboree Days grand marshal. He was chosen as grand marshal for his dedication to the Crestline community and decades of trying to make his hometown community a better place to live. His election to the Rim of the World Recreation and Park District’s board of directors, and his purchase of and editorials in the Alpine Mountaineer newspaper were all directed to that purpose.

Mick was a quiet philanthropist, who loved to fly and bowl. His family background includes brothers and sisters in community service in many areas, including law enforcement and his sister who served as the mayor of Hesperia. He was often seen around the mountain communities, talking to community members, getting their input on the local issues of the day. He was a member of the Lake Gregory Dam Improvement Committee which got the dam repaired and hired a management company to operate Lake Gregory Regional Park.

Mick had said, “The town I remember as a kid was a vibrant and forward-moving small town. I want the community to regain that vibrancy and life.” He spent many years trying to move the town forward.

He was recently trying to do the same things for Susanville, revitalizing it. He had just completed building a restaurant and several houses in town, employing many workers. He found fewer governmental roadblocks to building there. He was looking forward to helping that town reenergize itself.

Many comments were made on Facebook about this loss. Alpine Mountaineer editor Mary-Justine Lanyon said, “I’m so grateful to Mick for having taken over what was the Alpenhorn News and transforming it into the Alpine Mountaineer. He was a great boss – he had a heart of gold. His loss will be severely felt in Crestline and the entire mountain community.”

Mick’s brother Robert Hill said, “My brother was doing what he loved most, flying his plane. He went out the best way a person like him could… I spoke to him the day prior like always … my last words to him were, ‘Handle it, I am on your side.’ Can’t wait for the celebration of life so I can meet all the friends he had and the stories. Love you brother and say hi to the other family members up there in heaven. It’s my turn to get it done.” Several of Micks brothers and sisters have passed before him.

Community member Vicki Vargas posted, “Mick did a lot for our community…he was a go-getter, trail blazer and a visionary for Crestline. He made a difference.”

Long time Lake Arrowhead resident Sheila Ben-hur posted, “RIP Mick Hill. You went beyond your contractor business and contributed to your community, Through Rotary, the newspaper and Rebuilding Together. Your efforts and impact will definitely be missed.”

Local artist Molly Collins posted, “Mick was a bigger part of our community than most people will ever know. He cared deeply about the people of Crestline and this mountain community and helped support many people in different ways. I was fortunate to speak with him last week and he encouraged me to follow through with the Crestline Arts District. Many will miss him. Sweet generous man!”

Mick and his brothers and sisters grew up in Dart Canyon in the 1950s attending the relatively new St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church and the Crest Forest School, where he knew Mary Tone as a family friend.  Years later Mick purchased the Mary Tone School building when the Rim school district was selling it; he was designing plans to convert it into senior housing for the community, which never got approved.

He was proud of his memories from those childhood years. He spoke about it often in his editorials in the Alpine Mountaineer newspaper. He had been a licensed contractor since 1969. He was on the Dam Commission that saved Lake Gregory from the state draining it.

At press time no information had been released on any funeral service plans. His business Mick Hill Enterprises is taking the week off to recover from the shock of his sudden and unexpected death.