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Obituary: Jerry “Fats” Hill

Posted at 4:46 PM, May 16, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-16 18:46:58-04

Jerry “Fats” Hill, 63 passed away peacefully at home May 11th, 2019 surrounded by his family.

Born Jerrold Lynn Hill in Great Falls, Montana, to Mary Louise (Price) and David Leo Hill the third of six children. He attended Sunnyside and East Junior High School in Great Falls before moving with his family to Oregon during his 7th grade year.

While in Oregon he attended Lincoln Junior High School and Forest Grove Union High School before returning to Great Falls.

Jerry married Cindy K. Schneibel in Great Falls on November 23rd, 1973. They moved to Oregon where he worked building the Scoggins Dam on Hagg Lake in Gaston. They divorced after five years.

On March 4, 1999 Jerry married his long-time girlfriend Donna K. Mayernik in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both shared a love of racing, celebrating their marriage “honeymooning” at the Nascar Race that weekend.

As early as grade school Jerry, with his brother John, could be found selling copies of the Great Falls Tribune on the street corner after school to help his family make ends meet.

Jerry worked mainly in the construction and roofing industries through his life before accepting a position with Benefis Health Systems in 1994 as a painter, retiring this last year after 25 years of service.

Jerry enjoyed many hobbies; fishing, hunting, bowling, pool, but racing was his passion. Jerry began his lifelong racing career at the Electric City Speedway at the age of 18 and it remained a prominent part of his life throughout the years. Racing car #41 in every class (except sprints), was a way of life. As a racecar driver, mechanic, crew chief, and flagman, he loved every part of the sport.

A giver by nature, Jerry was known to be the first to volunteer and the last one to ask for help. He served several years on the Sand Coulee Volunteer fire department.

As a proud father, doting grandfather and loving husband Jerry cherished his family. He could always be counted on for a word of advice, a helping hand or a word of encouragement. He believed in doing your best in everything you do and set a shining example of that every day.

To read the complete obituary and share condolences, visit the Schnider Funeral Home website.