Arlen Ray Hill Jr, 82, of Pensacola, Florida, passed away unexpectedly May 6, 2026, doing what he loved: working at his job and making watermelon pies to give away to friends and family. Throughout his life, he tried to help others when he could and often shared jokes and stories to make others laugh.

Ray was born February 8, 1944, to Arlen Ray Hill and Marjorie Marie Cook Hill in Richmond, California. After Ray graduated from high school in Marland, Oklahoma, he went on to study at college where he met the love of his life, Sylvia Ann Crockett. Ray and Sylvia married in July 1964.

He worked on a farm helping drive tractors to plow the fields at an early age, later for a lumberyard, and as a milkman delivering door to door. Ray enlisted in the United States Airforce as an aircraft mechanic. During his military service, he and Sylvia had many whirlwind adventures stationed in Nevada, Okinawa, New Mexico, and Arizona. Ray served for many years until he retired in 1988 ranking as a Senior Master Seargent. But he never stopped working.

Ray believed that work defined him and gave him purpose. His past knowledge of the military flightline and the damage foreign objects could do when sucked into an aircraft jet engine inspired him to develop tool kits. The purpose of the kits was to help prevent tools from being left out after repairs were completed. After several ventures, he went into business with partners to create Prokits Sourcing, Inc making tool kits, mainly for the military. For eighteen years, he would work tirelessly to further the business despite many obstacles.

Ray is preceded in death by his beloved brother Dale Hill and parents Arlen and Marjorie Hill. He is survived by his wife Sylvia, son Cory and daughter-in-law Pamela Adams, grandson Eric, and great-grandchildren Vivian and Munroe, daughter Traci and son-in-law Peter, and grandchildren Gabriel, Christian, Kyriakos, as well as his brother Cecil Hill and wife Sunee, sister Sharyl Schatz and husband David, sister-in-law Marcella Hill, and brother-in-law and sister-in-law Kenneth Crockett and Patti Weaver. Ray had many nieces and nephews whom he greatly loved and enjoyed visiting when he could; from the Hill side: Holly, Darin, Nathan, Drema, Deedee and Jeff. And from the Crockett side: Tama, Camille, Debbie and JD.

Two celebrations of life services will be held to accommodate family and friends near and far. The first will be at Floridatown Park in Pace, Florida, Sunday, June 21 from 2pm to 6pm. The second will be at the Ponca City Seventh Day Adventist Church in Ponca City, Oklahoma, Sunday July 5th from 2pm to 6pm. These casual events allow family and friends to pay their respects, share memories and stories about Ray as well as jokes. He would have wanted the people who knew him to remember his laughter most of all. Ray will be laid to rest in Newkirk, Oklahoma in the Hill family plot. May his memory be a blessing.

In lieu of flowers, cards, notes, and any gifts may be sent to Sylvia Hill.