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Joy Hilliard, 1923-2010

Special to the Daily
obituaries@vaildaily.com
Vail, CO Colorado

Joy Rushmore Hilliard, 86, passed peacefully in her sleep on Aug. 30.

Joy was born in Plainfield, N.J., on Dec. 31, 1923. She married her husband Edward Hobbs Hilliard and moved to Denver in 1951.

She was preceded in death by her husband in 1970.



Joy admired the great outdoors and regularly enjoyed hiking, climbing, skiing, tennis, and her most favorite, fly-fishing. Joy further adored traveling home and abroad. Joy was part of the 1963 Everest Expedition and hiked from Kathmandu to the base camp of Everest. She climbed all 54 of the 14,000-foot peaks long before it became a popular Colorado pastime.

Joy was a philanthropist who donated to many causes related to population control and environmental causes. Joy participated as a board member on several organizations including Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, Outward Bound, Trout Unlimited, Silver Trout Foundation and Colorado Open Lands. Joy has received several recognitions for her work such as a lifetime achievement award for the Colorado Environmental Coalition, the George E. Cranmer Award from Colorado Open Lands, and the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood.

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Joy helped establish the conservation wing of the Denver Public Library and a Tenth Mountain Division Hut in memory of her late husband, Ed, partner of the Redfield Gun Sight Co.

Her three children, Byron Rushmore Hilliard, Helen Hilliard Freemyer and Hobbs Hilliard, as well as five grandchildren, Jennifer, Jamie, Edward, Elizabeth and Christopher, survive her.

Joy was larger than life and touched so many lives. Joy was an inspiration to us all; she persevered and triumphed under circumstances that might have daunted lesser people.

Joy’s wishes include not a service, but rather a celebration of her life. Please join us at the Denver Country Club Thursday Sept. 2 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Joy requested any memorial gifts in her memory should be given to Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood or the Nature Conservancy of Boulder Colorado. Arrangements entrusted to Monarch Society in Denver.


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