Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Ron Hill]

Interesting how life is. Burt was one of my dad's best friends. Burt had a beautiful PURPLE DeSilva Runabout. My dad had a hand lacquered, Black DeSilva Runabout with real silver leaf lettering.

At the first race of the year, 1949, as my dad came into the pits, his throttle stuck. My dad banged the throttle wide open hoping it would rebound, but it didn't. He hit the beach and he slide up the deck and messed up his hand pretty good.

Our Doctor was also our neighbor. When we got home from Lake Elsinore that night, my dad went do and talked to the neighbor. The neighbor felts the stiches looked good but he gave my dad a penicillin shot.

As it turned out my dad was allergic to penicillin and for two weeks he laid on our couch, with knots on his head that looked like he'd been hit with a hammer.

Within a month of that first race Burt Ball got a penicillin shot for a cold. He also was allegoric to penicillin. He throat swelled shut and he died.

My father lived til 1997.48 more years. My father sponsored me in boating for ever, we built boat together, he built many props and generally treated me like a KING all my life.

I have often wondered what my life would have been like had my father died when I was 5.

[Ketzer]

My father was also allergic to penicillin, which he discovered as a soldier during WWII while still a teenager. Don't know what his reaction was, he never said, just that he was allergic.

[Ron Hill]

If you look at Burt Ball's bow hook, you will note it is very shirt.
After my dad hit the beach at Elsinore, he slid up the deck and emailed his hand on this bow hook.


After they unwound my dad and got him unhooked, they went through the pits and cut off all the bow hooks. Made them short like Burt Ball's

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I spent most of my life thinking I was allergic to penicillin. Something when I was an infant happened that caused a doctor to tell my parents I was allergic. Don't know what it was or what happened. Never found out. When I had to take my son to a doctor to treat for food allergies back in the late 80's I asked him if there were tests to prove whether or not I was allergic to penicillin he said no. If I was even tested, that small amount might not show anything at all, or things could go really bad really quick. Several years ago my wife had to go see a doctor about some kind of allergy and she asked about a test. The doctor told her that ,yes , they did have a test now to check for an allergic reaction to penicillin. I did the test and it came back negative. So I don't know if I really did have the allergy and outgrew it, or never really was allergic. I don't plan on ever taking penicillin though unless there is no other choice.

Do boat racers still wear bracelets with blood type and medical conditions engraved on it?

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Wow! That could have grabbed more than a hand.

[Ron Hill]

https://apbahs.org/rod-zapf/

54 years of friendship! APBA Propeller also has an article about Rod in the August 2022 edition of the Propeller.

[Ron Hill]

Mickey Schwarzendbach and I are slowly building a class for OLD 55 Chryslers.

[Ron Hill]

For many years I ground and sanded props with my bare hands as I liked working them til they got hot. Then, I'd work on another. After fileting my index figure and spending 6 weeks in a cast, I decided I might need some safety gloves.

I got meat cutter gloves and they worked pretty slick. Ben Ellerman took the two picture of my gloves.

I am not sure where Marlee Hill Algiers got the picture of the Hill's 1956 boat trailer ox, a 30-H a 55-H and a KG-4. And some propellers.

[Ron Hill]

The Hill Family Karl Williams Part 14

“A Little History" Part 14 - The Hill Racing Family - California


A long informative phone call (2-1/2 hrs +) with Ron Hill this past Tuesday afternoon resulted in a lot of information on the Hill family of racers. As I have ran into before asking a question about Ron Hill quickly turns into a story about other family members or racers. From my 2-1/2 hours + on the phone I have one page of notes. A book could have been written on everyone else he talked about on Tuesday. Fortunately, there are links on Boat Racing Facts and Forums with great detail on the family racing history. A lot of great photos included in the link below. I’m sure there will be “additional information” on the Hill family in later “a little history” parts.
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/showthread.php?1463-Ron-Hill-Family-Hill-Marine-and-Signature-Propellers&highlight=Hill+Racing+Family
Ron started racing in 1955 with an AU and Merc KG4. In October of 1949 his dad Russ Hill bought 22 Johnson K series pump powerhead used during the war. He would cut off the long crankshafts as part of the conversion for outboard racing turned them essentially into KR’s. This engine was run on a Fillinger hydro. Russ Hill, Jr. won the 1949 Hearst Regatta at Long Beach. 32 "A" Hydros ran at one time. Ron and the 19-C Morehouse Runabout made it on the Mickey Mouse Club newsreel.


1960 - 1973 in Needles he won The Needles Marathon, usually 115 miles, non stop. In 1966, Ron won CU & DU Marathon Nationals classes and again in DU, 1968. Ron won every Needles Marathon from 1969 til it stopped in 1973, except 1968 when h was racing with Ted May in the Six Hours of Paris, France.




1962 Ron finished high school and went on to college, graduating in 1966 and teaching for 38 years.


Ron and Fred Hauenstein raced Parker, Arizona 9 Hour, together from 1967, 68, 69 ND `1978 (WINNING 1ST OVERALL).


In 1969 he started the prop businessm AKA Signature Propellers and Hill Marine Products. On August 2, 1977 (43 years ago) Ron made his first inboard prop, his son and partner, Chad Hill, was born that day. Ron has a daughter who is 47 and has taught for 27 years and two sons. Chad 43, and Broc 31.


1977 was the last year Ron raced in the stock outboard classes. Ron raced MOD VP til 1989.


Ron's family has been out of boat racing for 9 years due to the lack of races in California and safety issues. He and his grandson are involved in car racing in California. Grandson, is currently in second place in point is Lucas Oil's series. His class is for 6-12, there are 70 cars in his class.


The prop business continues to grow and update equipment for their world wide sales under the leadership of Ron’s son. Hill Marine made 7,000 propellers last year and are currently 76% A HEAD OF LAST YEAR'S PRODUCTION.

[WaltZucher]

Interesting how life is. Burt was one of my dad's best friends. Burt had a beautiful PURPLE DeSilva Runabout. My dad had a hand lacquered, Black DeSilva Runabout with real silver leaf lettering.

At the first race of the year, 1949, as my dad came into the pits, his throttle stuck. My dad banged the throttle wide open hoping it would rebound, but it didn't. He hit the beach and he slide up the deck and messed up his hand pretty good. https://kobilabs.com/

Our Doctor was also our neighbor. When we got home from Lake Elsinore that night, my dad went do and talked to the neighbor. The neighbor felts the stiches looked good but he gave my dad a penicillin shot.

As it turned out my dad was allegoric to penicillin and for two weeks he laid on our couch, with knots on his head that looked like he'd been hit with a hammer.

Within a month of that first race Burt Ball got a penicillin shot for a cold. He also was allegoric to penicillin. He throat swelled shut and he died.

My father lived til 1997.48 more years. My father sponsored me in boating for ever, we built boat together, he built many props and generally treated me like a KING all my life.

I have often wondered what my life would have been like had my father died when I was 5.

It's amazing how life can take unexpected turns.