Community Corner

A Sad Day in Town

Harry Hillstrand was a member of the Berlin Lions Club for 39 years and was always willing to share a smile and a story.

I have often told people that I have the best job in the world. Every job I have ever had has been a dream job. Sports writer, news reporter, Sports Editor, Managing Editor and now Local Editor of Patch. 

There is not a day that I wake up not looking forward to writing and making a difference in my community.

Part of my daily regimen every morning is that I check other newspapers and check the obituaries. When I was in journalism school I was taught that obituaries are one of the hardest things to write and can be beautiful pieces of history.

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Sometimes you see a name you know and sometimes you see a name of a friend. That was the case this week when I saw Harry Hillstrand has passed away. It was a rare bad day at my job. A sad day. 

I first met Harry through my father when they were both members of the Berlin Lions Club. Harry immediately took a liking to me and always treated me with respect and as a friend. 

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Harry took tickets at the Berlin Fair for years and as a child he would always stop me tell me a story. We always ended up laughing in the end. 

For 39 years Harry Hillstrand never missed a single meeting of the Berlin Lions. Think about that, perfect attendance for 39 years. He mowed the lawn at the fairgrounds for as long as anyone can remember and loved being part of the organization. 

When I saw he passed away, it hit me like a straight punch to the gut. It hurt and still does. 

According to his obituary: 

He served in the US Navy in World War II in the Asiatic-European and Pacific theaters, and was employed at New Britain Machine for 34 years and Sherwood Tool for 3 years before retiring from Raymond Engineering after 10 years. He was an active member of the Berlin Lions Club for 39 years where he served as president and a trustee, and was honored as a Melvin Jones Fellow and Knight of the Blind. He enjoyed mowing the grass at the Berlin Fairgrounds for the past 28 years, and was proud to be a Lion, getting great pleasure in being part of the Berlin Fair, Lions Clubs International, and the Lions Memorial Pool.

Harry was a member of St. Paul's Catholic Church, the Berlin Senior Center, V.F.W. Post #10732, the Svea Social Club, and the Y.M.C.A. and loved his many friends there. Harry was also a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

He leaves behind four children and their spouses, Mark and Pam Hillstrand, Karen Thorkildsen, LeAnn and Richard Klemyk, and Kris and Lori Hillstrand; four step-children and spouses, Robert and Patricia Bandzes, Debra Zurka, Susan and Scott Gerrick, and Julie and Richard Papscoe; five grandchildren, Jody, Hugh, Lily, Eliot, and Reid, and six step-grandchildren, Aaron, Alec, Stephen, Kevin, Kathryn, and Grace, who were the joy of his life, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Jean (Lanza) Hillstrand, a sister, Dorothy Bertz, a son-in-law, Roger Thorkildsen, and a step-son-in-law, Robert Zurka.

He and his wife Irene were inseperable and always working together at the fair grounds. 

The Lions perform a moving ceremony at the wake when someone from the club dies. They did it for my dad and did it again last night for Harry. There were not many dry eyes as Lions members remembered the easy smile Harry always flashed. 

We will miss you Harry. I will miss you my friend. It is a sad day for the town of Berlin today. We lost a great man. 


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