Jack Leonard Hill Longtime Pierce County resident and businessman Jack Leonard Hill passed away in Puyallup on March 9. He was 92. Jack was born on Halloween, 1924 in Newell, South Dakota. When Jack was in high school, he and his family moved to Eatonville, Washington. Jack attended Eatonville High School, where he met his future wife, Elizabeth (Dode) Puariea. He graduated in 1942 and went right into the Navy. Jack served as radio operator, navigator, and ventral gunner on a Grumman TBF Avenger. He flew off the USS Wasp, and participated in the Battle of Okinawa and in the sinking of the Japanese super battleship Yamamoto. After the war Jack married his sweetheart, Dode, a marriage that would last until Dode's death last September 70 years. In 1952 Jack graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in forest engineering. He worked for Washington State's Department of Natural Resources before going into business for himself. He owned Select Contractors, Inc. and Frost and Hill Contractors, Inc. both heavy construction businesses specializing in road construction. His company built the road up to Paradise in Mt. Rainier National Park and other major projects all across Washington. In addition to his construction businesses, he and Dode owned and operated Puyallup Marine and Lake Tapps Marina. During this time he became interested in jet boats. He imported pumps and nozzles from HamiltonJet in New Zealand, and built some of the first jet boats in Washington State. Jack was an avid fisherman and hunter. He hunted dove, ducks, geese, pheasants, deer, elk, moose, caribou, sheep, and mountain goats. And he had the trophies to prove it. Jack loved his family, especially his three daughters, Saundra Hill (Bill Pennell) of Pasco, Suzanne Swarthout (David Christy) of Bonney Lake, and Sheryl Hill (Greg Galeotti) of Snohomish. In addition to his children, he leaves his sister Carol Hill Jacobson, nine grandchildren, and ten (and counting) great-grandchildren. He would often say, "I'm so proud of my family." A tribute to Jack's life will be held on August 19, starting 4:00 PM, at 16411 106th St. Ct. E, Sumner, WA - near one of his favorite fishing holes on the Puyallup River. Bring your Jack stories. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Ducks Unlimited. See the Facebook page "Remembering Dode and Jack" for tributes and updates.