John P. Hilleren's Obituary
John Hilleren passed away on Friday, May 16th, 2025 at home with his family in Maryland Heights, Missouri at the age of 69 years 7 months, and 4 days.
John was born on October 12th, 1955 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota to the late Richard “Dick” Hilleren and Betty Rae Stanton (nee Monson).
John is survived by his loving wife, Bitsy Hilleren, their only child Danna Hilleren and his four dear siblings Mark (Linda) Hilleren, Gregg Hilleren, Randy (Maggie) Hilleren and Nancy (Scott) McLean as well as many beloved nieces, nephews and in-laws.
John was a warm, welcoming soul who left his mark on anyone lucky enough to meet him. As a child, he was intuitive, inventive, and harmlessly mischievous, even singing-along dramatically to old songs to entertain his elders by age five. In his early life, John found a powerful life-force in playing music and soon began playing guitar, vocals, and harmonica with lifelong buddies in the Homegrown Harvest Band, getting people dancing and singing for years before continuing to do just that in his next band Grand Avenue, which carried into his Florida days. No matter what was going on in his world, he couldn’t help but spread joy wherever he went. It was a common occurance to find him befriending a stranger or lending a helping hand.
The Tampa Bay area captured John’s heart for nearly two decades, and it is also where he and Bitsy’s love took root. They married in 1991, enjoying the coastal life some years longer before returning to their mutual home of St. Louis to raise their young daughter. John never stopped breathing life into music and would frequently soundtrack family gatherings with his songs and many joining in. This was also the soundtrack of daily life in their home which became imbued with music as Danna, too, grew into a large love of music with his guidance. Throughout his life, John was strong-willed, immensely caring, adventurous, and hilarious, but beyond his quick wit and humor, he was full of a beautiful depth and love for life that will be deeply missed.
A Celebration of Life, hootenanny-style will be held on Sunday, July 13, 2025 from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Kirkwood Park’s Lions Pavilion. Please come share in our love for John with a brief ceremony at 3:00 p.m. followed by open music and BBQ.
To RSVP for John's Celebration of Life, please click here: https://forms.gle/GJKzhinSjytzsBzA8
Services provided by Hughes Funeral Alternatives in St. Louis, Missouri. Friends and family can sign the family's online guestbook at www.HughesFA.com
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