CHARLES W. HILLMAN

July 1, 1929 - July 15, 2012 SOUTH BEND - Charles Winchell Hillman, born on July 1st, 1929, in South Bend, died peacefully on Sunday, July 15th. Charles graduated from South Bend Central High School and received a BA from DePauw University in 1953, where he was a member of the Delta Tau Delta fraternity.

He served as crew chief on B-29s in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

In June 1954, Charles married Anne Sylvia Mossberg and started a family.

As a young boy, Charles fell in love with flying and got his pilot's license before his driver's license. Working the night shift at the Studebaker Company while in high school, he earned enough money to buy his first airplane -- a surplus Army Stearman trainer. In 2010, he joined the Indiana Chapter of the UFOs-that is, the United Flying Octogenarians.

In 1957, Charles began working at Mossberg & Company, Inc., a family owned and operated printing and communications company founded in 1930. He became Company President in 1965 and CEO in 1979. He oversaw the successful growth of the company for over four decades, and was respected and admired for his kind and strong leadership. He remained Chairman of the Board until his death on Sunday.

Charles was a member of the South Bend Rotary Club for 42 years. Local organizations he supported included Hope Rescue Mission, the South Bend Symphony, and the Northern Indiana Center for History. He was a longtime parishioner and chaired numerous committees at Grace United Methodist Church. Besides flying, Charles enjoyed sailing, skiing, fishing, snorkeling, and golf. He taught sailing at YMCA Camp Eberhart and his children to sail (and flip) boats on Lake Michigan. Charles began skiing when he flew his high-school aged children up to Boyne Mountain and decided to try the sport himself. Charles loved fishing and taught his children to catch, clean, cook and savor fresh walleye on trips to Lac Seul in Canada. Golf at the Morris Park Country Club with the fiercely competitive "Nooners" golf group brought great joy to Charles, as did his recent lowest score of the season.

Charles' deepest and most cherished legacy resides within the many family members he leaves behind. He is survived by his wife, Anne Sylvia; brother, James E Hillman; two sons and daughters-in-law, James W. and Jill Hillman, and Tom and Lou Ann Hillman; two daughters and sons-in-law, Jennifer and Mitch Berger, and Helen and Dana Bottcher; and nine grandchildren, Matthew, Adam, Conor, Christopher, Clark, Leslie and Kristin Hillman, and Daniel and Benjamin Berger.

His son, Mark Hillman, passed away in 2006.

A funeral service will be held to celebrate his life at Grace United Methodist Church at 3012 S. Twyckenham Drive on Saturday, July 21, at 11:00 a.m. Calling for friends and family will be at the Welsheimer Funeral Home at 521 N. William Street today, July 20, from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Grace United Methodist Church, to the South Bend Symphony, or to YMCA Camp Eberhart.

Published by South Bend Tribune from Jul. 19 to Jul. 20, 2012.

01/28/2023 EJS