Janice W. Hilton

Janice W. Hilton, 80, of Denver, passed away at home on June 23, 2012. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Robert J. Hilton; and children Kimberly Jane Hilton, Robert J. P. Hilton and his wife Margaret P. Hill Hilton, and Lane Ann (Hilton) Arndt and her husband Richard A. Arndt. Grandmother to Palmer Hilton, Tyler Arndt and Carly Arndt. Janice was born in South Bend, Indiana on June 21, 1932, as an only child of Walter Willey and Rowena (Reetz) Willey. Jan has been a resident of Denver since meeting and marrying Bob at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Jan was an art major and graduated with a BFA in fine art that served her well in creating the commercial artwork for check design at a printing company to support the family while Bob completed his pre med and medical training. The couple met accidentally in a cellar barroom at the Sportsman Club in Louisville, CO. The couple continued in Denver through Bob's medical school graduation, then spent a year in Panama, 3 years in San Francisco and 2 years in Auburn, CA during which Bob completed his physician training. In 1965, the couple returned to Denver in time to see the flood of the South Platte river. Jan reluctantly started SCUBA with Bob in 1970 and became the top diver in her group. She always used the least amount of air and would be the last to come up from a dive. She never took much to skiing but was a lover of riding on the rear seat of Bob's trail motorcycle. When Bob took up flying she was also a reluctant passenger on many of his airplane flights but Bob would usually land for a powder room call when needed. Janice enjoyed gardening, cooking, painting & drawing, bridge, reading mysteries, traveling, SCUBA diving, and loved entertaining friends and family with fabulous meals and dinner parties. Celebration of Life, Friday, June 29, 1pm at Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 1091 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver. A reception in Janice's honor will immediately follow the service at the American Legion Hall- Post 1, 5400 East Yale Avenue, Denver (at I-25 & Yale). A committal of cremated remains will take place at Fairmount Cemetery at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Denver Dumb Friends League. Please express your condolences and share your memories of Janice by clicking on the GuestBook link below.