Enza Pauline Hill

Just as one of Dayton's most beautiful sunrises streaked across the skies, Enza Pauline Hill, 91, left her cancer-stricken body.

Known as Pauline and Polly by her friends, and Mom, Grandma and Nana by her family, she lived a life of simple gratitude, fierce independence, and quiet belief. She learned gratitude early.

As the second born child of Louer and Estele Norfleet in Somerset, Kentucky, she lived poverty. One childhood chore was to follow the coal trains picking up any pieces that flew off so the family could have heat.

She learned independence when at age 10, her Daddy died. She became "mom" to her younger brothers and sisters so that her mother could earn money working in town. At 18 Pauline moved to Dayton to find better work. A recruiting poster of Uncle Sam inspired her to join the Navy.

With only a sixth grade education, she was awed when the Navy sent her to New York City's Hunter College where WAVE's went for their training. She was assigned to a base in Tennessee working with navigators and aviation personnel, preparing them for war. Years later, dog-eared black and white photos of young pilots in uniform always made her cry because "they shipped out and I never knew if they lived through the war or not."

She learned lessons of faith during World War II. When rumors of a missing submarine rippled through her base, she froze with fear. Her brother was on that submarine. For days she prayed and prayed for its safe return, she said. One day it reappeared, with all men onboard alive and well.

She never forgot that answered prayer.

When her Navy hitch was over, she moved back to Dayton and met another Kentuckian, a man whose confidence and curly hair swept her off her feet. Robert Lee Hill, (known as Bob) became a police officer with the Dayton Police Department. The couple wanted babies right away but suffered infertility issues for almost a decade. An operation was successful and the couple was blessed with four babies over the next six years.

The children brought her and her husband joy. There were family camping trips to Myrtle Beach, swim meets, softball games, a son who played football, a daughter who was a cheerleader, another who was in the Ohio State Marching Band. Like a bouquet of flowers they were all so different, but she enjoyed their differences. When her husband died in his fifties, she became their rock of independence.

She was there for each of her children. Through one's divorce, a couple marriages, births, infertility, searches for career paths and finally all those grand-babies. She never voted, but when President Barack Obama sent her a birthday greeting from the White House, she proudly displayed it for everyone to see.

She always said getting older took adjusting. She was defiant to her arthritis by rolling her walker to the front lawn so she could still rip those ugly dandelions and rake away dead leaves. She believed in up-cycling before it was trendy. Wire hangars became sock pullers and gutter cleaners. Plastic bread bags became shoe covers. Box lids became trays.

She didn't travel much but how she loved phone calls from her children in faraway places like Baghdad and Kandahar, Rome and Hawaii, always asking, "Tell me what you see."

She traveled to Washington D.C. twice: once with her daughters to see the World War II monument and a few years later, as part of the Honor Flight saying, the experience "made me feel like a movie star!"

Over the years she survived breast cancer, a nasty fall, and the deaths of so many family and friends. Two weeks ago, when the doctors discovered her cancer, she didn't believe she was as sick as they said. But she told her children she wanted to die at home. As her body grew feeble, she accepted her death, saying she wanted to go fast. "I'm praying my secret prayers to God," she said a few days before she died.

With the help of Hospice she was able to die without pain in her home, surrounded by her family's love. The last words she heard on Earth was how much they loved her and would see her again someday.

Survivors include four children: Marcine Hill of Dayton; Lee Hill Kavanaugh and husband, Keith, of Independence, Mo.; Sue Norrod and husband, Jay, of Jamestown; Jay Hill and wife, Diane, of Riverside. Grandchildren include: Hannah and Jesse Kavanaugh; Amy, David and Steven Norrod; Danielle Bernhardt and husband, Kevin; Joshua Hill; Tara Hackman and husband, Josh. Great grandchildren are: Bradley and Ethan Hackman; and Alexi Bernhardt.

Pauline's surviving brothers and sister: Earl Norfleet; Lucille Sizemore; Charles Norfleet; Marlin Norfleet and wife, Sheena; Jimmy Cundiff and wife, Elaine; and Bobby Cundiff and wife, Mary.

The family asks that instead of flowers friends donate to Hospice of Dayton, who managed Pauline's comfort and care with dignity, courtesy and integrity.

Her funeral is Monday, June 29, at 5 p.m., at the Newcomer Funeral Home, 4101 Needmore Road. One hour before the funeral, at 4 p.m., the family is welcoming family and friends who want to pay their respects.