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Show People, Politics & Policy Guy Hillman a PI. Grove institution By E. MARK BEZZANT On Saturday afternoon, Guy Smith Hillman was laid to rest in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery. With his death, ended a life that is richly entwined in and with the history of Pleasant Grove. In fact, it was Guy Hillman who helped to piece together some of the critical history of the "G" on Little Mountain when the cement borders were added. Modern opportunists would have difficulty capturing the simplicity and yet the greatness of such a one as Guy. His 80-year-tenure on earth made him something of an institution in-stitution in Pleasant Grove. For 39 of those 80 years, he taught at Pleasant Grove High School. Thirty of those years, he was the faculty ! member in charge of the yearbook and school newspaper. After that, he spent another 13 years teaching adult education classes. Following that, he substituted at the Pleasant Grove High School almost until his death. When he would enter the office area of the school, he was always smartly dressed and carried himself with an air of dignity. When I last saw him in the school at the age of 79, there was still that spark and fire in stride and eye. The gulf stream of his youth had flowed richly into the arctic region of his life. There was something about the classroom that kept him young. There was something about the literature he loved that made him rich, beyond man's ability to measure wealth and learning. With that love of fine things came a love of lowers and particularly roses. In a multitude of public and private places you will find roses whose origins can be traced to Guy Hillman. Throughout the city of Pleasant Grove are trees that Guy fought to save as he served on the shade tree commission. Guy had a deep interest in the city of Pleasant Grove, but his eye for finesse went beyond the obvious. The casket spray from his beloved Rosie spoke eloquently of that finesse. In that spray of flowers was an assortment of beautiful varities that many folks might overlook in the garden. It represented the love that Guy Hillman had for all that was beautiful in life. The Hillman neighborhood, and Pleasant Grove for that matter, will never be quite the same. The Hillman corner will never be quite as beautiful, without the master gardener. The elderly and the children will not cross the busy streets with the same assurance as when their good neighbor was there to assist. The kids on the block might never hit the ball as good as they might have without his coaching. There are children and others who might never hear or learn of Longfellow, Emerson of Dickinson as they would if Guy were here. The great Duke Giles will be absent a daily golf partner. For a man who shunned the limelight, it would be fitting in his absence for the people of Pleasant Grove to honor this man. It would not be too much for the city to move with increased vigor to care for the roses near the historic library building. It would not be improper for the flag at the high school to fly at half mast for a day It would not be improper at all for a city to honor a man who gave 39 years to the young people of this community. It would not be improper at all when the "G" is lit again, that just .for a minute or two we pause to say "Thank you, Guy Hillman, thank you!" |