Michael L. Hillman
November 23, 1961 – December 8, 2024
Michael will be laid to rest privately at Ft. Custer National Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice, c/o the funeral home.
Obituary
Age 63, of Kalamazoo, passed away on December 8, 2024, at Bronson Hospital. He was born in Michigan City, IN, on November 23, 1961, the son of Leon L. and Carolyn B. (Boven) Hillman. Raised in Kalamazoo he graduated from Loy Norrix High School, Class of 1980. After graduating he enlisted in the US Navy. After fifteen years of honorable service, he was discharged and returned to make Southwest Michigan his home. Michael was a hard worker and held many jobs throughout his life. When not working he enjoyed watching sports, collecting comic books and other memorabilia. He was an avid fan of watching movies and listening to music with family and friends. Above all Michael loved his family and he leaves behind many special memories to cherish. He is survived by his mother, Carolyn; three siblings, Debra (Vashon) Chess, Tina Willard and Annette Hillman; a daughter, Vanessa Coster and three granddaughters; many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Michael was preceded in death by his father Leon.
When i was young, Uncle Mike shared his love for Marvel and Star Wars with me. We would watch everything from old cartoons to some new in theaters. We would even play with some of the action figures he collected over the years and made up games to play them. If anyone knows or family they know that knowing to play Pinnacle is a MUST and Mike was very competitive when it came to games. He would make sure to teach you well and let you know what mistakes he felt you made, but really I think it is because he liked the challenge of a good player. He instilled a love for strategy games in me by teaching me other games when i was younger such as Risk. These are some of my favorite memories…