David R. Hillman

In Loving Memory of David Roy Hillman

“DoDad” December 5, 1939 – June 8, 2025

Hinsdale icon, David Roy Hillman, aka “DoDad,” passed away from natural causes on June 8, 2025, in Glasgow, Montana, at the age of 85.

David was born in Glasgow, Montana, on December 5, 1939, to Roy “Bud” Hillman Jr. and Carrol Carlson Hillman. He attended Hinsdale High School and was part of the Class of 1957. Though he did not graduate with his senior class, David received his GED in 1959 while serving in the U.S. Navy.

David joined the Navy in 1959 and was honorably discharged in 1963. During his service, he was stationed on the USS Ticonderoga and the USS Midway, where he worked as part of the hangar deck crew.

In 1964, David married his hometown sweetheart, Cheryl Swanson, in Hinsdale, Montana. In the early years of their marriage, they lived in Great Falls, Montana, before returning to Hinsdale to raise their family. Their daughter, Laurel Jane Hillman, was born in October 1965; daughter, Stacie Lyn (Hillman) Canen, in March 1968; son, Bryon David Hillman, in May 1974; and son, Tyler Lee Hillman, in August 1976. David and Cheryl later divorced after raising their children. He never remarried.

Over the years, David held a variety of jobs, including working for the Farmers Union in Hinsdale. He also farmed for several local families; Art Arnold, Jim Arndt, and Jack Barnard, to name a few, and worked for the Civil Service at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. Later, David became a salesman and beer distributor for Glasgow Distributors in Glasgow, Montana, where he worked for 16 years before retiring.

In his spare time, David served as a basketball referee for many years, officiating countless games with his best friend, Gary Klind. He also coached the Hinsdale Women’s Softball team for many years, even leading them to a trip to Nationals in Portland, Oregon.

In his earlier days, David was an avid paddle fisherman and goose hunter, earning the nickname “Captain Goose.” He enjoyed fishing the Milk River, Nelson Reservoir, and Fort Peck Lake, as well as hunting deer and antelope. He was known for teaching most of the kids in Hinsdale how to swim in the Milk River and for his love of water skiing, especially trick skiing and riding a chair on a saucer. He also served as a member of the Hinsdale Volunteer Fire Department in his early adult years and was a dedicated member of the Hinsdale American Legion Post 45 until his passing.

During his retirement, David remained a soldier at heart. He proudly served as the town’s first line of defense against mosquitoes, driving the fogging machine by night and cruising the streets of Hinsdale by day with a Styrofoam cup of coffee in hand. Locals often joked that you could tell where he’d stopped to visit by the cup he left behind. He took great pride in maintaining the Legion Hall, his home away from home, and keeping the Milk River Park well-mowed and cared for.

David was preceded in death by his parents, Bud and Carrol Hillman; parents-in-law, Betty and Magnus Swanson; sisters, Judy (Hillman) Peña and Shirley (Hillman) Martin; infant son, Bryon David Hillman; daughter, Laurel Jane Hillman; sisters-in-law Patti Sanderson and Sharon Swanson; brothers-in-law Mick Swanson, Jim Sanderson, Jim Arndt, Tony Peña, and Doug Martin; nieces Sharon Arndt, Marissa Sanderson, Heather (Swanson) Monson, and Lori Fitzgerald; nephews Lindsey Hillman and  Russell Swanson; and many other beloved relatives and friends.

He is survived by his brother, Gary Hillman, his daughter, Stacie (Ray) Canen, and son, Tyler (Christy) Hillman all of Hinsdale, MT; grandchildren, Derek (Michelle) Canen, Naperville, IL, Kendra (Phillip) Luedtke, Zittau, WI, Sawyer (MiShai) Hillman, Cardwell, MT, Danika Hillman, Glasgow, MT and Berkley Hillman, Hinsdale, MT; great-grandchildren, Lincoln and Coen Canen, and Wilder, Sunnie, and Hays Hillman; his aunt, Rosanne Cox; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

David was a dad, grandpa, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend to many. He loved his hometown of Hinsdale and its community deeply. He was proud of his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all the Raider, Maverick, and Scottie athletes he avidly followed over the years.

Hinsdale will not be the same without DoDad cruising the streets, keeping an eye on things, and leaving behind his trail of Styrofoam cups.

Service will be held on Saturday, July 5, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at the Hinsdale American Legion.

Online condolences may be left at bellmortuarymt.com.