Thomas Wilson "Tony" Hillhouse

A Private Family Funeral Service will be held 12:30PM Friday 10/1/21 at Double Springs Baptist Church in Webster County, MS with burial in the Church Cemetery. The Family will receive friends for visitation from 10:00AM until Noon Friday 10/1/21 at Double Springs Baptist Church after which the Private Family Funeral Service will be held. Thomas Wilson “Tony” HillHouse was born on August 30th, 1948 and went to heaven on September 27th, 2021 after a short and hard-fought battle with Multiple Myeloma. Funeral Services were held 12:30PM Friday 10/1/21 at Double Springs Baptist Church in Webster County. Dr. David Hamilton, Nathan Hamilton and Riley Brown officiated. Pallbearers were; Chris, Jody, Russ, Sloan, Ethan and Ryder HillHouse, Chip, Mason and Brooks Powell, Benjamin Hamilton and Gregg Hunter. Tony loved his family, old photographs, family history, cornbread in milk, bragging about shirts purchased in 1980 that he wore regularly up until his death, a clean floor, and having an orderly place for everything. He had a deep love for every inch of each acre of HillHouse land upon which he resided his entire life. He disliked a mess, a lack of common sense, wastefulness and hypocrites. Not necessarily in that order. Tony was a master craftsman who single-handedly built his beautiful home from the ground up. He also built special pieces of furniture like cedar chests and gorgeous dining tables only to give them away. He could build, fix, repair, or explain literally anything. He never paid anyone to do anything for him because he did it himself. He even sutured his own badly cut hand at home with a taxidermy kit once, which was a testament to his tough gritty strength or that fact he hated spending money, especially on a hospital bill. He asked for nothing, but gave the best gifts like turkey feathers, squirrel tails, deer horns, arrowheads, and his time complete with great stories. Tony had nicknames for all of his children, grandchildren and even their friends. He always imparted sayings that were at times insightful, but usually perfect to simply bring a needed chuckle. Tony graduated from Cumberland High School in 1966 after 4 years as a living legend there and playing on the original football team wearing #72. He laughed and boasted they didn’t even score a touchdown that first year. Shortly after graduation, he joined the Navy and bravely served our country during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Shangri-La and USS Forrestal. Tony was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey and Dorothy HillHouse, paternal grandparents; Levirt and Susie HillHouse and maternal grandparents; William Andrew and Geneva Hancock Turman. Tony and his parents were very close as he lived “down the road” from them and was attentive to their needs up until their deaths. He is survived by his wife of 50 and 1/2 years, Carol Runnels HillHouse and their children: Jody (Cynthia) HillHouse, Toni Carole (Chip) Powell, Chris (Ruth Ann) HillHouse. His grandchildren are Carmen HillHouse, Madison HillHouse, Russ HillHouse, Mason Powell, Belle Powell, Brooks Powell, Sloan HillHouse, Ethan HillHouse and Ryder HillHouse. Also surviving him are his sisters and brother, Peggy HillHouse, Susan (David) Hamilton and Micheal HillHouse. His nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews loved him and share in the grief of his death. His uncle, Robert HillHouse, had a tight, special bond with Tony and he shares the pain of this loss. Also surviving him is his precious aunt, Maggie Millar. Many extended family members will miss him greatly. Tony HillHouse never dressed to impress or desired many of the luxuries this world had to offer. Hard work and frugality were two of his favorite mantras and he insisted we’d all be better off if we would listen to him in those matters. We all listened more than he realized. He will be greatly missed by his friends, community and family that depended on him to always have the answer to questions or a way to get through any circumstance. The family requests to honor his memory and practical nature that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to; Double Springs Cemetery Fund, c/o Chris HillHouse, 1610 Savannah Lake Road, Mantee, MS. 39751