December 16, 1932 – February 13, 2022

Emily Joree Walker Hill (Lake MeMa, Poppins), 89, passed away on Sunday, February 13, 2022, from heart failure. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky on December 16, 1932, and was preceded in death by her husband William Bradford Hill, Sr., her parents Harry Chandler Walker, Sr. and Sarah Emily Willard Walker, and her brother Harry Chandler Walker, Jr..  She is survived by her sister Mary Francis Walker Blount Stovall, her daughter and son-in-law Chris and John Stanfield, Sr., their children John Stanfield, Jr. and Emily Ford, her son and daughter-in-law William "Butch" Hill, Jr. and Susan Hill, and their children Bradford Hill, Katherine Angel, Travis Mantell and Jacob Mantell.  She is also survived by the loving and supportive spouses of her grand-children Dana Stanfield, Brian Ford, and David Angel, and very loving cousins and nieces.  She had 13 great grandchildren, all of whom she loved, mentored and knew mostly by nicknames.

MeMa was married to Bill Hill (Pops) for 55 years.  Prior to that she and Pops attended Decatur High School in Decatur, Georgia and became inseparable by their junior year.  In the summers she was a camp counselor and swimming instructor.  She was a star basketball player, winning a state championship, was fast enough to win the 100-yard dash in the 8th grade, secretly running as a boy, and was an accomplished twirler.  After high school, she attended Bessie Tift College, Agnes Scott College, the University of Georgia, and Harrison Drayton Business College, in furtherance of her parents efforts to get her away from Bill Hill, at which they failed miserably.  Her mother never got over the fact that Bill stole her daughter away and whisked her off to Seminole, Texas to work in the oilfield, where she believed Joree was doomed to be captured by "Indians".

MeMa and Pops engaged in various entrepreneurial activities from oil exploration to operating a marine yard.  MeMa also worked as an executive secretary at First City Bancorp, a teacher, a wedding coordinator, a poll watcher, a political advocate, and a Sunday School teacher.  She was also very involved in various ladies geological auxiliaries, the PTA, and organized the Lakewood Yacht Club Ladies Camp.

MeMa's mother-in-law, Mrs. Stella Hill, was also her 7th grade teacher.  She told Pops, his brother Charlie, and his dad Cy, that MeMa was a tom-boy and was too competitive.  Joree went on to become the absolute apple of Cy's eye.  He adored her and called her "Puddin'".  Missing him was one of the few things that could make MeMa sad.  MeMa spent her entire life focused on doing whatever Pops wanted to do, including marching across innumerable Civil War battlefields and, when not babying Pops, spending her time spoiling her family.  She was kind, supportive and loyal to a fault, if that is possible.  Her grandchildren, John and Emily, "grew up in her lap", and she mentored Bradford and Katherine during times when they needed it most.  She and Pops spent their retirement living on Lake Livingston in a beautiful house that MeMa and Pops helped Chris and John build (with their own hands).  They said many times that their time there was the happiest of their lives. They so much appreciated their old Friendswood friends, and their newly found Lake buddies.

MeMa grew up attending Decatur First Baptist Church, and later Friendswood Friends Church.  When she and Pops moved to Lake Livingston, they attended Coldspring United Methodist Church.  During a hard time, she told Butch that faith reveals God's love when it is relied upon and becomes trust.  She lived her life by that message.

MeMa was an excellent waterskier, Master Point bridge player, and excellent fisherwoman (in spite of Pops).  She and Pops sailed all over the world, with first mate Joree at the helm when times got desperate (Pops got seasick a lot).  She and Pops were unbeatable at badminton, and proud of it.  They were both excellent 42 players, and she and Butch beat John and Chrissy in her last match, with her slamming down the double 4 in triumph on the decisive hand.

During her time in hospice, she was surrounded by loved ones.  However, her primary care takers were Chris (daughter), Emily (granddaughter), and Chrissy Hochman (niece).  These three "Steel Magnolias" ensured that MeMa had the last days she so richly deserved.  Her entire family will be forever grateful to them.

Joree was greatly loved and will be missed by all who knew her.  During her final days she was visited by almost all of her friends and family.  These visits were the greatest gifts she could have been given.  There will be no additional formal service, her wish was to simply join Pops. Godspeed “Poppins.” Your kindness will be missed and your smile remembered forever.  Condolences may be sent to the family in care of Jeter Memorial Funeral Home, www.jeterfunerlhome.com.