Janet Burnett Brown Hill passed away on Sept. 1, 2013.
She was the beloved wife of William Lanier Hill and cherished mother of Lou Ann Terry, Angela Linburg and Richard Brown and their spouses, Sean Terry, Bill Linburg and Rhonda Brown. She adored her eight grandchildren, Lydia Flynn and her husband Sean, Will Terry and his wife Jean, Barrett Linburg and his wife Heather, Cole Linburg, Austin Linburg, Lauren Brown, Hughes Brown and Preston Brown, and three great-grandchildren, Henry Flynn, Jack Flynn and Maggie Lou Terry. She is also survived by her niece, Cassie Herrington, nephew, Chris Weiser, sister-in-law, Ann Brown Shanks, and step-sister-in-law, Majel Beall.
Janet was born in Gladewater, Texas, on Jan. 20, 1933, where she lived until she married Olwyn Hughes Brown in 1950. Her early married years were spent in Magnolia, Ark., where along with her sister Elsie Lou and brother-in-law Ralph Weiser, she and her husband founded Weiser-Brown Oil Co., which remains in the family today. She was a member of the Junior Charity League in Magnolia, and upon moving to Dallas in 1958, she became active in the Junior League and the Crystal Charity Ball.
She and her first husband, Hughes Brown, were politically active in the Republican Party throughout their marriage. In 1974, they moved to Sun Valley, Idaho, where they became very involved with the hospital board. After his death in 1990, Janet helped raise funds to build a critically needed hospital in Sun Valley. They traveled extensively to exotic places and were joined on many of their trips by their wonderful friends. The highlight of their travels was their worldwide voyage on their boat, “Rampager,” which ended in Australia, where they hosted family and friends at the America’s Cup.
In 1994, Janet married William Lanier Hill. She enjoyed her life and time spent with Billy, his children and their spouses, Sarah Jane and Will Francis, David and Larrilee Hill, Stephen and Bettina Hill, and Mary and Jay Cone, and his grandchildren Sarah Katherine Francis, William Francis, Mia Hill, William Cone and Timothy Cone.
Janet will be profoundly missed by all who knew her. She loved her card-playing buddies, her golf partners, and especially her family. She enjoyed her time and her friends at Northwood Club in Dallas, the Valley Club in Sun Valley, and Eldorado in Indian Wells. A gracious hostess, her children remember that while growing up the door was always open for her family and friends. There were card games, picnics, grand adventures, lots of good food, and laughter. Always a lady, she was impeccably dressed and ready with a smile.
A memorial service will be held Friday, Sept. 6, 2013, at 2 p.m. at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, Dallas, Texas 75205.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests consideration of a memorial in Janet’s name to the St. Luke’s Wood River hospital at P.O. Box 7005, Ketchum, ID 83340.
Honorary pallbearers are Ronnie Beall, Bob Bowers, Glenn Jeter, Fred Stolle, Henry Stollenwerck, Charles Stuhlberg, Chris Weiser and Ralph Weiser.
