Marvin loved and took care of his family unconditionally and with unrelenting passion and respect. He never stopped working on serving, building and improving his home and relationships with his family, friends and the community. His strength and kindness touched the lives of so many and he made those who were dear to him always feel special and cared for.
Marvin was a resident of East Dailey at the time of his passing on Wednesday, May 25, 2016. He was 77, and a member of the Beverly United Methodist Church.
Born November 21, 1938, in Marlinton, he was a son of the late James Osborn and Mary Madge Dilley Hill. He was raised in Pocahontas County at Indian Draft near Edray. He attended the schools of Pocahontas County, graduating from Marlinton High School in 1956. During the summers, while growing up, he would live and work on the family farm along Thorny Creek that was so near and dear to him. He worked hard and loved going hunting, fishing and being in nature.
Marvin served honorably with the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1965 where he was a weather observer stationed at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, and Andrews AFB, Maryland. After he was discharged, Marvin worked for American Airlines, the Department of Defense Climatology Division, and then began his career with the National Weather Service at the NWS Test and Evaluation Lab at Sterling, Virginia, in 1969. He worked at NWS offices in Huntington, Richmond, Virginia, and Columbus, Ohio, before becoming the Officer in charge of the NWS office in Elkins in 1978. While serving at the Elkins office, he received the United States Department of Commerce Silver Medal for providing timely warnings of the devastating floods of November 1985. Marvin retired from the NWS with 32 years of Federal service in 1995. From 1995 to 1999, he was self-employed and he and his wife, Judy, traveled the state maintaining the IFLOWS rain gauges that report rainfall in remote parts of the region and are used by NWS to predict flooding. In 1999, Marvin was appointed as the Director of Emergency Services in Randolph County where he was instrumental in bringing modern radio communications and the 911 Center to Randolph County. He was awarded the NOAA Environmental Hero award in 2003 and continued to serve as Director for 13 years before retiring in 2012.
In 1983, Marvin became a certified Emergency Medical Technician and volunteered his time as an EMT at the Randolph County Valley Unit Rescue Squad in Mill Creek. He was also president of the Tygarts Valley High School Athletic Boosters during early 1980s. Marvin had embraced his family roots in the early 1960s and this passion led to the founding of the Family History Research Library in Beverly, to what is now the Allegheny Regional Family History Society located south of Elkins.
Marvin had two families, his personal family and his Masonic family. Marvin was initiated, passed and raised to Master Mason in Eastgate Lodge #603, Gahanna, Ohio, in 1977. After transfer to Randolph County in 1978, he demitted to Randolph Lodge #55 in Beverly, where he served as Worshipful Master in 1985 and from 2005 to 2010. He was exhaulted a Royal Arch Mason in 1981, and served as High Priest of Beverly Chapter #23 and as Grand Lecturer of West Virginia from 2008 to 2012. He was knighted in Pilgrim Commandery #21 in 1994, is a member of Fort Henry York Rite College #61, and was declared a Knight York Cross of Honor in 2009. In 2014, Marvin was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Grand Chapter Royal Arch Masons of West Virginia.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by sister, Ramona Lee; and brother, James Clarence.
Marvin is survived by his wife, Judith Ann Coe, whom he married in August 1962; his two sons, John Wallace, of Tampa, Florida, and Brian Coe of Morgantown; a sister Sharon Jean; a granddaughter, Hailey Skye Hill; a grandson, Liam Alexander Hill; and step-grandson, Augustus Hayes Novich.
Marvin’s family would like to extend a special thank you to the caregivers who took care of him at the DMC Cancer Care Center and at Davis Memorial Hospital.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, June 2, 6:30 p.m. at the Beverly United Methodist Church.
Online condolences may be made at www.never-gone.com/memorials/mohill.
At the request of the family, in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in memory of Marvin O. Hill to: Cancer Care Center, 801 Harrison Avenue, Elkins, WV 26241; or Randolph County Cancer Support Group, PO Box 2361, Elkins, WV 26241-2361.
