Edwin "Ed" Ray Hill

Edwin “Ed” Ray Hill, 85, born June 8, 1940, in Tonkawa, OK, died May 13, 2026, in Wichita, Kansas

Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday, May 22, 2026, at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church.

Ed was an Army unit specialist with the distinction of sharpshooter (M-1 Rifle) from 1961 to 1964, stationed in France during peacetime. In 1964, he married Rita Ripple; they had one son and divorced in 1966. In 1968, he married Arleta Tolbert, had three children (his daughter, June, died in infancy), and divorced in 1997. He had a short marriage to Betty Bond, which ended in divorce, and a common-law marriage to Kathy Black, which later ended in separation. After his service in the army, he worked at Beechcraft. He graduated from Wichita State University in 1973 with a Bachelor of Business Administration while working full-time. He also started Hillcrest Homes and worked as a general contractor, building and remodeling homes until his death.

Ed was known as “Mister Baseball” in the Andover community, having coached for over 3 decades, including his sons, Scot and Jeff, his nephews, Corey and Aaron, and his granddaughter, Vivian. Ed was a great hunter and fisherman, and he taught his sons and grandchildren to love these sports.

Ed is preceded in death by his father, Raymond Rudolph Hill; mother, Mary Anna Eshom; daughter, June Hill; and half-sisters, Catherine Eshom Thomison Boggs and Sarah “Sally” M. Hill.

Survived by his half-brother Larry Eshom of Andover, Kansas, sons Scot Hill of Prairie Village, Kansas and Jeff (Julie) Hill of Wichita, Kansas, grandchildren Owen Hill, Eva Hill, Emmett Hill, Nora Hill, Vivian Hill, Colton Hill, Bailey (Andrew) Darlington, Bryce Fimreite, Blake Fimreite, nephews Aaron (Rebecca Smith) Eshom, Corey (Maci Robertson) Eshom, and great nephews and nieces Asher, Braysen, and Remington.

A memorial has been established with: Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center, 5500 E. Kellogg Dr., Wichita, KS 67218, and St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 123 N. Andover Road, Andover, KS 67002.

Services in care of Downing & Lahey Mortuaries — East Wichita.