Paul James Hiltz, at 89

Paul James Hiltz, 89, died on January 21, 2025, at South Shore Hospital after a brief illness.

Mr. Hiltz was the son of Harry F. Hiltz and Margaret (Carroll) Hiltz. He was predeceased by his brother, Lester B. Hiltz, and his sister, Ethel M. MacVicar.
He is survived by his loving life partner of 15 years, Linda E. Phippard, his sons Charles A. Jenner and his wife, Yany Perez; Paul J. Hiltz Jr. and his wife, Joanne; Lester K. Hiltz and his partner, Raquel “Rocky” Brown; and Eric S. Hiltz and his partner, Marie Gardner; his brother Harry F. Hiltz; his sister Carol B. Rowe; his grandchildren Eric Hiltz Jr., Alec Hiltz, Stephanie Hiltz, and Catherine and Daniel Alfonso-Jenner; his nieces Christine Macdonald, Linda Rowe, Sandra Conley, Darlene Hadfield, Donna Peterson, Marsha MacVicar, Paula White, and Terry Hiltz; and his nephews Ross MacVicar, Gary Hiltz, and Hal Hiltz.

Mr. Hiltz was born in Hingham at the family home on East Street. He grew up in Hingham and then Cohasset, after his family had moved to Cedar Street.

As a youngster, he loved to rebuild bicycles, motorcycles, and cars. At 19, he enlisted in the National Guard Battery Division 704. He transferred to the U.S. Army as Private 2nd Class and trained at Fort Dix, N.J. He was assigned to the Med Company, 87th Infantry, Special 3rd Class. After receiving medical training, he was transferred to Germany. Mr. Hiltz was honorably discharged after three years of service.

After returning home, his first job was at D.S. Kennedy in Cohasset, where he learned how to weld. Mr. Hiltz completed courses and became a certified welder. He was educated in machine shop, shipyard metallurgy and blueprint reading. As an experienced welder, he worked at several manufacturing companies, including General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut and shipyards including Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and Quincy Shipyard, welding on nuclear submarines. He worked at power plants in Massachusetts and Puerto Rico, including several Edison power plants, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant and Puerto Rico Electric. Mr. Hiltz’s Uncle Andy Aliquo encouraged him to join the Millwright Union Local #1121. As a millwright, he was able to work other trades, including the pile drivers on the Boston University towers and the South Boston Postal Annex, Ocean Spray, and Procter & Gamble.

Mr. Hiltz worked with his dad building houses in Hingham. Over the years, he, his brother Harry, and his nephew Ross worked together on home renovation projects. Mr. Hiltz liked to share his skills and teach others “how it’s done,” and started Hiltz Construction Company. He was a jack-of-all-trades and “fixer of everything.” He loved renovating homes for customers, friends, and family. He called himself “The Inventor.” He made his own tools; his proudest was the Combo #3 and Combo #4 under his company name, Designer Tools, Inc. He built several recumbent bicycles, one of which was his parade bike, Miss Liberty. Over the years, you would see him riding Miss Liberty in parades like the Hingham July 4th parade and Plymouth St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Mr. Hiltz belonged to the Human Powered Association and participated with his bikes in competitions in Washington, D.C. and Canada.

Mr. Hiltz lived for more than 50 years in Hull, where he enjoyed raising his sons. His family meant the world to him. He was involved in his sons’ hockey league and started the Rockaway Annex Neighborhood Association. It wasn’t uncommon to see him riding his bike or scooter around town. He loved to dance and took ballroom dance classes. Most Sundays in the summer, you could find him dancing with Linda or his sister Carol at the Bernie King Pavilion at Nantasket Beach. He touched so many lives and will be forever missed.

Visiting hours will be held on January 30, from 5-7 p.m. at Downing Cottage Funeral Chapel, 21 Pond Street, Hingham. A graveside service with military honors will be on January 31 at 11 a.m. at Woodside Cemetery, 555 North Main St., Cohasset. Following the graveside service, friends and family are also invited to a reception celebrating Mr. Hiltz’s life – and his 90th birthday, which he was so looking forward to – at the Sons of Italy Lodge, 39 Kilby St., Hingham, at 12 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Paul Hiltz may be made be made to the American Heart Association at www.heart.org.

For more information and online guestbook, visit www.downingchapel.com.