Dean Hill Sr

Dean V. Hill, age 56 of Spokane, WA, formally of St. Xavier & Billings, MT. Passed away unexpectantly at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, Washington, on December 13, 2020. Dean was from the Apsáalooke Nation and a member of the Big Lodge Clan and a child of the Greasy Mouth Clan. Bilissee Akkashdeesh “Crosses the Great Water”, Crow name given to him by Harold (Biscuit) Crooked Arm. He was born on December 20, 1963 in Crow Agency, Montana to Sylvester Sr and Irene (Bright Wings) Hill. He was raised in St. Xavier, MT and went to various schools on the Crow reservation throughout grade school to high school, playing basketball for Lodge Grass, Hardin and St. Labre. He graduated in 1983 from Billings Senior High School, where he excelled in basketball and cross country. He was part of the 1983 Billings Senior High Broncs basketball team who went on to state and played in the State championship that went into a triple overtime and took a heartbreaking second place losing by one point. On August 29, 1982 he married the love of his life Lydia and spent 38 years building a life together. In 1985, he enlisted in the United States Navy and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia on the USS Dwight D Eisenhower and received an honorable discharge. Dean is a Veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy reserves, and in 1991 he was called up to Operation Desert Shield/Storm. The Navy taught him the value of discipline, teamwork and investing in a larger cause than himself. These values contributed to his success as person and as well in his work ethic and personal life. Dean was known as a hard worker and always took care of his family. He attended traditional ceremonies and practiced Crow belief ways. He worked various jobs such as working for the TCI cable company for six years in Billings, MT. Dean often coached basketball starting out with NBC camps every summer while his kids went to camp. He put on basketball tournaments with his friends and family throughout the reservation and coached his daughter's and son's traveling basketball teams. He became a ref for the MOA in MT and IHSAA in Idaho refereeing high school and college basketball games. He worked for the Bureau of Reclamation as a top Journeyman Communications and Instrumentation Technician for 22 years, working in Montana, Idaho & Washington throughout his career. He spent his free time watching various sports games. Dean & Lydia loved watching football together. He enjoyed taking his family to football games, his favorite team was Boise State. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle with his buddies from Idaho. Dean & Lydia lived in various communities and made lifelong friends who became family. He will be missed by all who knew him. Dean always went above and beyond for his family and cared deeply for them. His most fulfilling moment was when he became a granddad. He loved his Ryan more than anything. Ryan brought so much love and joy into the lives of his grandparents, and they eventually adopted him as their own. He was so overjoyed when his daughter graduated from Washington State University with her bachelor's degree. He enjoyed spending time with his son and building things and working on projects together or catching a game together. He loved his family near and far always kept them in his prayers and unselfishly gave to others. He appreciated spending time with siblings and his brother Cat and learning from him. He was proceeded in death by his parents; grandparents: Paul (Nellie Crooked Arm) Hill, Henry and Genevieve (Walks, Old Bull) Bright Wings Sr.; grandmothers: Marietta Deputee & Clara Big Lake; sisters: Lenora Plenty Hawk, Jeannie and Flora Jean Hill, Sharon Bear Don't Walk; brothers: Manerd, Franklin and Raymond Hill, Dewey Bear Don't Walk; aunts: Clara Mae Bear Don't Walk, Daisy Hill-Bends, Josie Hill-Little Light; uncles: Lyle Hill, Vincent Crooked Arm, Henry Bright Wings; niece: Rhea Plenty Hawk; adopted parents: Jim & Edith Earthboy. Survivors include his children Chantel, Dean Jr. “Deano” and Ryan Hill; brothers: Sylvester (Andrea) Hill Jr., Tronson Big Hair, Miles (Rochelle) Fighter, Dennis (Nora) Big Hair, Myron Stewart, Darryl (Randean) Little Light, Paul J. (Krystal) Hill, Thomas Morrison, Arthur (Mari) Plenty Hawk Jr., Caleb Caplett, Carl Tye & Shawn Hill, LyDale (Kathanna) Nomee, Lane (Trish) Plenty Hawk, Jerale (Amanda) Costa, Anfernee Caplett, Dewey Jr., Randy John and Adrian Bear Don't Walk; sisters: Vera (Myers) Brien, Alfedrine (Eddy) Brien, Shirleen Hill, Faylene (John) Caplett, Ada (Shawn) WalksOverIce, India and Raylene Hill, Shararose, Tania, Christina Bear Don't Walk, Amory (Brian) Murphy, Rachel Plain Feather, Kitty (Elroy) Nomee, Chelsey Old Elk, Flora Jean Hill, Lenaya Costa, Yelena (Manuel) Bright Wings, Precious Fry; paternal uncles: Yvonne, Clyde, Curtis (Wanda) Little Light, Allert Takes Enemy Sr., Oliver Bear Don't Walk Jr.; maternal uncles: Daryl (Barbara), Larry (Rhoda) Bright Wings; paternal aunts: Edwina Venne, Rosella Bear Don't Walk, Velma Big Hair, Nellie Whiteman, Karen (Tim) Rindahl Sr., Tina Takes Enemy; maternal aunts: Henrietta (James) Takes Horse, Lorena (John Jr.) Holds the Enemy, Shirleen Glenn, Maria (Gerald) Pease, Flavina (Kirby) Bromley; lifelong friend and brother: Kendall Old Horn; special brothers: Tony (Sharon), Robert Earthboy, James Walls, Bert Lujan, Oscar Benavidez, Joe Valdez Sr., Tony Sijohn, Andy Porter; special sisters: Stephanie, Becky Earthboy, Joyce (Tony) Castillo, Debra (Francis) Cochran, Lydia (Jim) Montes, Tina Walls. Extended family include the Crooked Arms, Little Light, Hill, Big Hair, Bright Wings, Rides Horse, Gardner, Bull Chief, Carpenter, Red Star, Buffalo, Walks, Deputee, Half, Fighter, Knows the Ground, Smart Enemy, Brown, Old Coyote, Old Horn, Dust, Lefthand and Covers Up. The family extends a heartfelt thank you to the Spokane County Fire District 10-1 and medical team at Sacred Heart for all you did. Thank you to Chaplin Joel and the rest of the Chaplin staff at Sacred Heart hospital for being so compassionate and understanding. Our family is large if we have forgotten anyone, please accept our apologies.