Beth Leslie Hill, 60, died August 8, after complications of recently found pancreatic cancer. She was a longtime resident of Sandy Hook and Southbury, and in recent years had retired to Telford, Tenn. She was born on April 28, 1957, in Danbury.

Ms Hill was raised by her mother Hazel Narr Ford, stepfather Elwood Ford, biological father Richard Barlow, stepmother Nancy Barlow, and adopted parents Janet and Art Appell, who all predeceased her.

She graduated from Newtown High School in 1975 and then earned a degree in computer programming from Framingham State University in Massachusetts. She was a computer processor, specializing in data analysis at Pitney Bowes in Danbury for most of her career.

Ms Hill always enjoyed animals and caring for them and could often be found nursing sick animals back to health or caring for her own collection of both regular and exotic pets. She was also a longtime antiques and jewelry collector.

She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt.

Her children, Crystal Lee Hill of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; Jesse Hill and daughter-in-law Sheyla Fajardo of Telford, Tenn.; and her stepdaughter Ivy Hill Palmer of Telford survive her. She also leaves her much-loved grandchildren, Ethan Palmer, Emily Palmer, Anthony Valle-Fajardo, and Samantha Fajardo; her siblings, Janet Barlow-Ford Bolmer, Melody Lake Ford Lemons, Liz Barlow Vannostrand, Richard Barlow, Jimmy Barlow, and Butchy Appell; and many loved ones.

Her loving husband and best friend of 41 years, Graham Hill; and her brothers, Tommy Ford and Robert Appell, predeceased her.

No services have been planned at this time in respect to Ms Hill's request. Her ashes and those of her husband will be spread where they met and at Cade's Cove in the Smoky Mountains later this year.