Obituary
Truett Lynn Hilliard, 88, of Odessa, died Tuesday, June 6, 2023, in Odessa. Arrangements were by Acres West Funeral Chapel of Odessa. At Truett's request, no services were scheduled.
Truett Lynn Hilliard was born on April 29, 1935, in Portales, New Mexico in the home of his maternal grandparents [Mr. & Mrs. Samuel B. and Lena E. Boone], to his loving parents, Maurice Truett Hilliard & Clessie Pearl [Boone] Hilliard.
Truett completed his public-school education in Portales, graduating in 1953 from Portales High. During his time in high school he played football and ran track where he set a New Mexico state record in 1952. As soon as he graduated, he enlisted in the Army at the end of the Korean war, by-passing the draft. He was based in Germany where he stated, “that it was a good place to learn how to drink beer.”
When Truett Lynn got back to the States, he used his GI Bill to earn his bachelor's and master's at Eastern New Mexico University in four years. He was awarded a Bachelor of Arts in History in May of 1958 and a Master of Arts in History in May of 1959. Truett’s first teaching position was in Anchorage, Alaska at Anchorage Community College, which later became the University of Alaska, where he primarily taught history. He then took a fellowship at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. He relocated to San Antonio, Tx to teach Philosophy at San
Antonio College. In his attempt to make his way back to New Mexico, he took a position at Odessa College in Odessa Texas where he retired, after 35 years, in 2000. There he taught Philosophy and History.
Truett Lynn loved to read and had an extensive library of philosophy and other subjects of interest. He also loved to write Haiku.
He was married to Elodia Garcia for 20 years and they had a son and a daughter.
He was married to Karen Kennedy for 10 years.
He was married to Tracy Binns Hilliard for 28 years until his death.
Truett Lynn is survived by his wife, Tracy Binns Hilliard of Odessa Texas, his son, Curtis Hilliard and wife Wendy of Odessa Texas; daughter Michelle Balcom and partner Paula Giglioti of Jupiter, Florida; grandson, Sam Bergstrom and wife Adriana, and son Finn of Merritt Island, Florida; grandson, Michael Hilliard and wife Lindsey of Odessa, Texas, and granddaughter Clessie Hilliard of Austin, Texas; grandson Truett Hilliard of Boston, Massachusetts, and grandson Elliott Hilliard of Austin, Texas. Truett Lynn is also survived by a large number of first cousins, all children of his seven pairs of uncles and aunts of the large extended Hilliard family, descended from his paternal grandparents, Madison Monroe Hilliard and Rebecca Brown Hilliard. All these many cousins, both those who predeceased him and those who survive, greatly admired Truett Lynn's remarkable athletic and academic achievements, and felt blessed by his warm and loving personality!
