March 10 1927 February 15 2020
Obituary Warren P. Hilleke passed away peacefully on Saturday, February 15th, 2020 at the age of 92 surrounded by loved ones. Despite being cooped up in the hospital, he had managed to send Valentine’s Day flowers one last time to his loving wife of 69 years, Ruth Jean. Also surviving him are his two daughters, Marcia Ring and Gayle Hilleke, son-in-law Warren Ring, grandchildren Elisabeth Ring, Andrew and Gunjan Ring, and great grandson Aiden Ring. Born in Ft. Wayne, IN, he grew up in the Catholic Church and faithfully served as an acolyte at St. Paul Catholic Church. When he was 17 he joined the Navy and served our country in the Second World War. At the end of his tour he hitchhiked back to Ft. Wayne from his post in California. After meeting the love of his life and getting married in 1950, Warren worked in sales. He then joined the federal government where he worked as an auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency and the Department of Energy for the rest of his career. He was described by those who worked for him as a smart, fair, and supportive boss. These jobs took Warren and Ruth Jean all across the country, making wonderful friends wherever they went. They traveled from Fort Wayne, IN to Cincinnati, OH; Harrison, OH; New Palestine, IN; Indianapolis, IN; Richmond, IN; Arlington Heights, IL; Ashland, KY; Burbank, CA; Whittier, CA; Columbus, OH; Highland Heights, KY; and Cold Spring, KY. No matter where he lived, Warren loved baseball, college football, and horse racing. He found his love for baseball with local teams, and was a fan of the Cubs, Reds, and Nationals. A long time Fighting Irish fan, the first lullaby he sang to Marcia and Gayle as babies was the Notre Dame fight song! When not watching ball games, he would spend time down at the local racetrack. He was a regular of Santa Anita in California, River Downs in Ohio, and Turfway and Keeneland in KY. Warren was known for his great sense of humor, for being an avid reader, and for being able to talk to anyone on any topic. He was curious about people and loved deep conversations on why people do the things we do. He had a great memory and an amazing sense of direction. After one trip to a city, on the next visit, he would know exactly how to find that great Italian restaurant or the park where we went for a hike. He had a short stint in local theater in Richmond, IN where he played Mr. Upton in Mame and a cowboy in Anthony Nash’s The Rainmaker. His hearty laugh and warm spirit will be lovingly remembered and desperately missed by his friends and family. A memorial service will be open to the public on Saturday, March 7th at 11:30 am followed by a lunch to visit with family and friends. The service will be held at the First Baptist Church of Cold Spring, 4410 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY. Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home caring for the family. In lieu of flowers, donations in Warren’s memory to the Community Christian School, 3672 Western Ave., Connersville, IN 47331 or the American Legion Post 219, P.O. Box 0219, Alexandria, KY 41001 would be appreciated. Special condolences and memories may be sent to www.dmefuneral.com. Events Mar7 Memorial Service Saturday, March 07, 2020 11:30AM First Baptist Church of Cold Spring 4410 Alexandria Pike Cold Spring , KY 41076 Get directions View MapTextEmail
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Warren P Hilleke March 10 1927 February 15 2020.
Death notice for the town of: Fort Thomas, state: Kentucky