Frank Chaffee Hills

Frank C. Hills, Jr. passed away Wednesday, March 25th, 2026, at Rose's Terrace assisted living home in Kissimmee, FL. He was 91 years old. It was remarkable to him that he lived that long; he had lost both of his parents in their early sixties and had wagered he would fall along a similar timeline. Yet persevere he did.

Frank had a big personality and commanded a room with his jubilant, smart, and playful presence. He always left a lasting impression on whomever he met.

Frank was born August 10th, 1934, in the Bronx, New York, the only child of Frank and Violet Bittles Hills. He spent much of his youth as a city boy, though during WWII, when his father was deployed, Frank spent a couple of beloved summers with his Aunt Lil and Uncle Al on their farm in upstate New York in the town of Roscoe. During his teenage years, his family moved to Bergenfield, New Jersey. In high school, he ran track and played basketball, was in an a capella group, and performed in school plays. Also in high school, he met Lorraine Grizler and they soon married and had four rowdy yet lovable children: Deborah, Thomas, Vicki, and Frank III. Though their marriage ended after 20 years, Frank and Lorraine remained cordial until her passing in 2014.

For work, Frank had a career in computer repair for the upstart IBM, and traveled throughout New York City on various jobs. His most notable assignment was working on the legendary Moonshot computers for the 1969 mission to the moon; he talked often about the large computers that filled entire rooms and were shipped to Cape Canaveral for the launch.

Frank's second wife, Lisa, was the absolute love of his life. They met in 1974 and it was love at first sight; Frank talked often about their first meeting. They married in 1975 and soon after moved to Boca Raton, Florida, where Frank continued working in the computer industry, developed his hobby of stamp collecting, and was active in the local Elks Lodge #1770 (even serving as Exalted Ruler.)

Frank and Lisa traveled often to Germany (Lisa's home country), as well as to various U.S. battlefields and veterans memorials, satisfying Frank's passion for studying all the intricacies of the Civil War and World Wars. They were dachshund lovers, having four throughout their lives: Jody, Buffy, Heidi, and Pepi. In 1993, they moved to Wildwood, Florida. All in all, they were married for 45 blissful years until Lisa's passing in 2020.

But Frank's favorite passion – above them all – was acting. From the time he sang as a child for guests at his father's urging, Frank was a performer through and through. Frank's rich, operatic baritone voice was a beautiful gift that enthralled audiences. He spent many years performing in amateur and community theatre, from shows with the Little Firehouse Theatre in Oradell, NJ, to plays onstage at the Melon Patch Players in Leesburg, FL, where he also served as President from 1997-98. Frank's most memorable roles are Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Teddy in Arsenic and Old Lace, Padre in Man of La Mancha, Cap'n Andy in Show Boat, and Harold Hill in The Music Man. Frank was so captivating onstage that he inspired his granddaughter, Kimberly DiPersia, to pursue acting, and in 2018, they together filmed the short film Junie & Frank.

In addition to Lorraine and Lisa, Frank is predeceased by his son, Thomas Frank Hills, in 2017 and his grandson, Christopher Elliott, in 2023. He is survived by three children: Deborah DiPersia (husband Vincent) of Kissimmee, FL; Vicki Elliott, FL; and Frank C. Hills, III, Merritt Island, FL. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren: Dominic, Bryan, and Kimberly DiPersia; Dennis and Jessica Elliott; Matthew, James, and Daniel Hills; Thomas and Eric Hills; and by 7 great-grandchildren.

The family would like to thank everyone at Rose's Terrace for the love, care, and compassion that Frank received during his time there.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Frank in summer of this year.

To receive updates for the event, please email [email protected].

In lieu of flowers, sing your favorite song and think of Frank.

There were bells on the hill,

but I never heard them ringing.

No, I never heard them at all,

'til there was you.

There were birds in the sky,

but I never saw them winging.

No, I never saw them at all,

'til there was you.

And there was music,

and there were wonderful roses, they tell me,

in sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew.

There was love, all around,

but I never heard it singing.

No, I never heard it at all,

'til there was you.

– “Till There Was You” by Meredith Wilson from The Music Man