Loyd Charles "Chip" Hilton III, of Panama City Beach, passed away peacefully at his home on Tuesday, August 2, 2011.
He is survived by his parents, Lela Griffin Hilton and Loyd Charles Hilton, Jr., sister, Julie K. Hilton, her husband, Richard L. Whitsitt, niece, Ava Symone Katherine Whitsitt Hilton, aunt, Pat Tolbert, cousins Teri Tolbert, Tami Tolbert and Trip Tolbert, great aunt, Doris Baldwin, second cousins, Melanie Baldwin and Marilyn Baldwin Copeland, and beloved friend, Cody Khan.
Chip was born on August 30, 1958 at Lisenby Hospital, Panama City, Florida. He attended Drummond Park (Lucille Moore) Elementary, Hutchison Beach Elementary, and Jinks Jr. High and graduated from Bay High School in 1976. Chip studied liberal arts at the University of Florida 1976 – 79 and completed course work for an Associate of Arts Degree at Gulf Coast Community College. He began work at age 9 as a painter and carpenter's assistant for Jon Law Construction Company. From 1969 – 96, he undertook a variety of jobs at resort hotels ranging from bell staff to guest service representative to general manager for Hilton Inc., Panama City Beach. Also, he worked various road construction jobs at Gulf Asphalt Corporation (GAC Contractors). At 16, he co-managed the Suntide Motel with his sister, Julie. From 1994 to 2011, Chip was a golf instructor at Holiday Golf Club. As Co-owner of Hilton Inc. and Holiday Golf Club since their founding, Chip was involved in hotel and golf club management for over 40 years.
At age 9, Chip began playing golf daily with the persistence, perseverance and dedication that comes only with a genuine love and excitement for the game. Playing on the Jinks Jr. High and Bay High School Golf Teams, and apprenticing with golf pro Kenny Lind, he prepared to make golf his avocation and vocation. As a professional golf instructor for the past 17 years, he taught his students invaluable life lessons, emphasizing, "Golf is not a game of perfection – it is a game of comeback."
An artist, Chip painted quizzical abstract scenes of Nature's Expressionism using oil on canvas and each piece was accompanied by a thematic story with a life message. He also sketched pen drawings of Aeronautical Art featuring experimental designs of futuristic aircraft. A musician, Chip believed that music is an essential part of everyone's life, and he composed and played original jazz pieces on the piano for family and friends. As a multitalented individual who achieved excellence at whatever he undertook, Chip was voted "Most Likely To Succeed" and "Best All Around" in Jr. high school and chosen "Most Valuable Player" in baseball little league. His other avocations included tennis, baseball, football, weightlifting, martial arts, swimming, sporting clays and skeet, running, hunting, fishing, kayaking and canoeing. He valued friendship, unconditional love and acceptance and simplicity and loved red hibiscuses.
Up until his last breath, Chip fought diligently to live, overcoming serious health challenges for 34 years and then being diagnosed with an aggressive advanced stage esophageal/gastric cancer on June 8th. Chip valued his long time trusted family physician, Dr. Tim Smith, MD. Other medical experts making special contributions to Chip's healthcare include Dr. Ismail Zabih, MD, Dr. Rodney Morris, MD, Dr. Jeff Trupp, MD, Dr. Bill Walsh, PhD, Dr. Naima Abdel-Ghany, MD, PhD, Dr. Abram Hoffer, MD, PhD, Dr. Akbar Khan, MD, Dr. Jeanne Drisko, MD, University of Kansas Medical Center, and Dr. Orn Adalsteinsson, PhD, International Strategic Cancer Alliance.
Friends are invited to visit with the Hilton Family on Friday, August 5th from 5 – 7 pm and join in Chip's Celebration of Life on Saturday, August 6 at 3 pm. Visitation and the Celebration of Life will both be held at Wilson Funeral Home. Reverend Tony Legear, pastor and childhood friend, will be officiating at the celebration. Beloved friend Cody Khan will share special memories of Chip. Pallbearers are Ben Graham, Ryan Khan, Jim Lawson, Nelson Matos, George Norris, and Derwin White. Honorary Pall Bearers are Alan Graham, David Humphries, Jeff Heath, Jimmy Vineyard, Martin Williams, Tommy Harris, Marianne McRorie, Chris Pugh, and the team members of Hilton Inc. d/b/a Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Select, Days Inn Beach, Paradise Palms – a seaside inn, and the Casa Loma, Holiday Golf Club, and GAC Contractors. Interment will follow the Celebration at Evergreen Memorial Gardens.
For those who desire, contributions may be made in memory of Chip Hilton to: Integrative Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center [http://integrativemed.kumc.edu (click Make a Gift, specify for Integrative Mental Health Research and Education) or mail to: 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Mail Stop 1017, Kansas City, KS 66160]; International Strategic Cancer Alliance [(http://www.is-canceralliance.com) (mail to: 873 E. Baltimore Pike #333, Kennett Square, PA 19348)]; or Emerald Coast Hospice (mail to: 2925 Martin Luther King Blvd., Panama City, FL 32405).