Melvin Hill

Melvin Hill, Jr., 69, born in 1947, in Los Angeles, California, passed away November 8, 2016. He resided in La Palma, California at the time of his passing.

Mel "Pancho" Hill was curious from birth. When he started talking his mind was full of questions, his eyes filled with wonder about the world around him.

One Christmas he received a toy fire engine. Most kids would roll such a toy around on the floor. Not Mel, he took it apart to see what made it run. His loving parents, Melvin and Gladys, were relieved when he put it back together.

Boy Scouting taught Mel to be a leader. He cherished the memories of earning each merit badge and often talked about how those accomplishments showed him the possibility of achieving his dreams.

Mel played the trumpet, a cherished gift from his parents, who stretched their budget to make the extravagant purchase. It opened Mel's ears to the music of Miles Davis, Grover Washington Jr, Herbie Hancock, and so many jazz greats.

Mel enjoyed long-distance walking. In high school Mel ran track. He won trophies for bowling. Maintaining a slim physique and good health was a major priority. Years later kidney disease compromised his health and ultimately claimed his life.

Mel's memory for facts, figures and minutia was a tool he honed daily. Throughout his life Mel was a voracious reader, a self-taught learner. He often reflected on the gift of his first library card. He went to the public library every week to exchange old books for new. Into adulthood, the Los Angeles downtown library was his favorite haunt. He read electronic books and magazines, biographies of mathematicians, scientists and musicians. He also delighted in the zany antics found between the pages of Mad Magazine.

Mel built electronic gadgets in his spare time - radios, computers, robots; remote controlled helicopters, airplanes and cars. A soldering iron and schematic circuit boards littered our dining room table until the girls were born, when he moved that task to the garage.

He loved drag racing, and lamented the closing of Lions Drag Strip in Wilmington.

Mel was a motorcyclist, licensed private pilot, certified scuba diver, joyful golfer, and an amateur photographer, who back-in-the day, built his own darkroom where he'd develop film and print photographs.

His interest in math and science led Mel to the burgeoning field of computer technology. After high school he went to Control Data Institute where he earned a technical certificate.

He turned that certificate into a full-time computer engineering career. He worked at Magnavox, Marshall Data Systems, Storage Technology Corporation and finally Amdahl, which was later bought by Fujitsu.

Ever the champion of the computer industry, Mel belonged to a volunteer group administered by The Boeing Company. Once a month they'd visit local Los Angeles public schools. He'd tell students about the computer industry and why he chose that career.

Mel went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Soon he was promoted into management. He missed day-to-day analytics, but enjoyed being a team leader, a decision-maker.

After 44 years in the computer industry, Mel reveled in retirement. For five years he focused on learning Apple computer programming, and puttering around Disneyland spending time with his family. He logged massive hours on his Annual Pass.

Mel had great pride in being a beloved and loving son, adored husband, inspiring father and, most of all, an involved grandfather.

Mel is survived by his wife JoAnn, daughters Christine Johnson and Danielle Hill, son-in-law Darrin Johnson, Dale Horton, grandsons Jacob Johnson and Drew Horton.