David Stephen Hillesland

August 26, 1935 – March 29, 2023

David passed away peacefully at his home in Pasco surrounded by his family. He was born

August 26th,1935, as the 4th son of Anton and Alma Hillesland. He lived in Taylors Falls, MN,

until he was six. After World War II began, they moved to Tacoma, WA, and then to the nearby

town of McKenna when he was fourteen. After graduating from Yelm High School he took a lot

of odd jobs to help support his family, and himself through college. He graduated from Pacific

Lutheran College in 1958, with a BA in Physics.

David could play just about every instrument, having grown up learning them in his father's band

room at Yelm High School. He could play anything by ear, and had a tremendous library of

songs in his head.

After working at Boeing and other jobs in the area, between Seattle and Olympia, he went back

to Pacific Lutheran University in 1965 to earn a teaching certificate. It was during this time that

he met Linnea Eger, a PLU graduate teaching third grade. After many evenings singing and

playing music, they were married at Trinity Lutheran Church in 1967.

David and Linnea moved to Pasco, Washington in 1974 for a new job at the Richland office of

Olympic Engineering. He later joined United Nuclear Corporation (UNC), working as a

Safeguards engineer, and staying on with UNC's successors until he retired in 2005.

David was curious, witty, creative, inventive, gracious and loving. Everyone enjoyed talking to

him as he always had something funny or insightful to say. At work, he saw the potential for how

computers could improve processes at work. He developed a novel sampling method that saved

the government millions of dollars. At home he applied his creativity to reuse and recycle

household objects into little inventions that made his day easier. At night, he would create his

own bedtime stories for his children.

David's hobbies also included photography. He loved every aspect of photography, from the

engineering and physics that made cameras work, to taking, developing, and editing photos.

He also loved the outdoors: camping, hiking, and climbing mountains (Hood, Rainier, etc), and

nature photography. He would tell you his favorite thing to photograph in nature was tree

stumps, pointing out how much more cooperative they were in staying still, compared to his

kids.

David never lost his appreciation for teaching and learning. On the back of a napkin at the

dinner table, he taught his kids everything from the 3rd grade story-problems to the functioning

of diesel engines and the basics of calculus. He was very proud that all of his children went on

to get advanced degrees. He was also interested in the historical aspects of religion, and wasn't

afraid to provide sermon topics to the pastors in the family.

David was preceded in death by his parents and 3 older brothers, Carl Bjarne, Roald and Harold

Hillesland. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Linnea, and children Karl Hillesland

(Margaret), Bernt Hillesland (Katherine), Kristina Stredwick (Jason), Birgitta Dubova (Ilir) and

Ivar Hillesland (Targhee) and 13 grandchildren, Soren, Rosemary, Iris, Joseph, Samuel, Isaac,

Madeleine, Paul, Magnus, Axel, Olyver, Odin and Orion. There are now five more households

filled with music, laughter, and the occasional quirky invention.

A memorial service will be held on July 1 at 11:00 am at First lutheran Church in Kennewick,

WA, followed by a lunch reception at the church. Memorial donations may be made to First

Lutheran Church, Pasco, or Tri-Cities Chaplaincy Hospice Care