BLOOMINGTON
- James Keith "Jim" Hilliker, 62, of 105 S. Moore,
Bloomington, died at 10:40 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 11, 2006) at
BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Normal.
He
will be cremated. A private inurnment service will be held
at a later date at Kankakee Memorial Gardens, Kankakee.
There will be no visitation. Arrangements are being handled
by Beck Memorial Home, Bloomington.
Memorials
may be made to the Community Cancer Center, 407 E. Vernon
Ave., Normal, IL 61761, or to a local animal humane society
of their choice.
He was
born Aug. 29, 1944, at Kankakee, a son of Arthur James and
Marjorie Yocom Hilliker. He married Patricia Cullen on July
19, 1969, at Libertyville.
He is
survived by his wife, Patricia; his mother, Marjorie
Hilliker, Kankakee; and one sister, Wendy (Harry) Blomquist,
Gilbert, Ariz. He is also survived by a niece, Erin
Blomquist, Tuscon, Ariz.; two aunts, Dorothy Hilliker,
Kankakee, and Noreen (Owen) Cusey, Bloomington; and many
cousins.
He was
preceded in death by his father and one brother, Robert Ray
Hilliker.
He
graduated from Kankakee High School in May 1962. He received
his bachelor's degree in sociology in May 1968 from Eastern
Illinois University, Charleston. He received his master's
degree in sociology in June 1973 from Illinois State
University, Normal.
Jim
had formerly worked at Kankakee State Hospital as a social
worker from 1968 to 1971, after completing his master's
degree.
Jim
taught sociology at Illinois State University, later worked
at Brokaw Hospital, Normal, as a social worker and later as
the patient accounts manager. From October 1984 until June
1995, Jim worked as a social worker for McLean County
Nursing Home, Normal, and later as the billing manager at
Chestnut Health Service, Bloomington.
In
June 1995, Jim purchased Hobbyland in downtown Bloomington.
Jim loved the store and enjoyed playing with all the hobbies
the store offered. Ill health forced Jim to sell the
business in September 2002.
As
with his varied work careers, Jim enjoyed a wide variety of
interests. He rebuilt a wrecked Trimaran sailboat which the
family still uses on Lake Michigan. He enjoyed woodworking,
rebuilding and repairing everything and anything. He loved
flying stunt kites and model airplanes. He restored an old
1967 LeMans. He loved his cats.
Jim
will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He had a zeal for
living and experienced "life to the fullest."
The
family wishes to extend special thanks to Dr. John Migas,
the staff at the Community Cancer Center and BroMenn
Hospital for their care of Jim during his long illness.
