HILTON, Gordon Bruce

Hilton,Gordon Bruce

It is with much love that we reflect on and celebrate the life of Gordon Bruce Hilton. He was born on January 21, 1932. He passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026, at the age of 94. He was a cherished husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Gordon leaves behind a legacy of a passion for farming, family, community, and a deep appreciation for the value of laughing along the way. 

He is survived by his devoted wife of 70 years, Viola, their children, Debbie (John), Spencer (Lynne), Carolyn (Wes), Sterling (Lianna), 9 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and sister Maureen (Arne).  He was predeceased by his son Lawrence, sister Rosemary and brothers Ron and Doug. 

Gordon’s grandparents, Henry and Florence Hilton, immigrated from England to the Nightingale District in 1910 to become farmers, so his roots in agriculture were set.  Son of Leonard and Audrey Hilton, Gordon grew up in the Nightingale area.  His passion for farming and a deep respect for nature began at a young age. After attending SAIT, he was set to follow in his parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps and become a steward of the land.

After meeting at a local dance, Gordon courted and then married Viola Bartelen. Initially, Gordon and Vi lived 4 miles north of Strathmore, where they farmed with his father Leonard and brother Ron for nine years. In 1964, they ventured out on their own, purchasing the “Harvey” farm in the Crowfoot area.  He and his family felt so thankful to live in such an active, supportive and fun-loving community.   Throughout the early years of his farming career, Gordon witnessed a lot of soil erosion.  Looking forward, Gordon and Vi realized this was not sustainable and were concerned for future generations.  They were resolved to find a solution.  This ignited the passion for developing soil conservation practices. They passed on this mission and passion to their family, who continue to farm and follow in their footsteps.

Gordon was an active member of the Crowfoot Community, Ducks Unlimited, Knights of Columbus, Bow River Quality Task Force, Strathmore Lions Club, and Alberta No-Till Farmers Association. 

Two notable career highlights were his induction into both the Alberta Agriculture Hall of Fame and the Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s Hall of Fame.

Gordon was well known for his great sense of humour, being a kid at heart and his love of playing a good trick on others.  There was nothing like seeing the grin on his face when he handed you an innocent-looking item that would shock you!  Oh, the delight that brought him!  He had a passion for life and always stated one should “work hard and play hard”.  He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with family and friends. 

Gordon’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the staff at AgeCare Sagewood for their high level of care and kindness to our dad during his time there.

A funeral service and celebration of Gordon’s life will be held at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Strathmore, Alberta, on Friday, May 22nd, 2026, at 1:00pm. To send condolences or watch the livestream, please visit Gordon’s obituary at www.wheatlandfuneralhome.ca.  If desired, donations in memoriam can be made to a charity of one’s choice.