Barbara J. Hill "Barb"
In Loving Memory
The world became a darker place Tuesday, March 13, 2019 when a little ray of sunshine was extinguished much too soon from our lives. In utter disbelief and profound sadness, we will all have to struggle with the fact that Barb (Babs, Barbarita) will no longer be with us to light up our lives with her great smile, funny laugh and unending enthusiasm for life. She truly loved and cared for everyone around her. She was like a little "friend magnet" that attracted everyone from complete strangers to those close to her. People from all walks of life gravitated to her. Her soul radiated from her, warming you like the early morning sun. Her niece said of her that "she was so easy to love".
Born in Royal Oak, Michigan, she was encouraged by her best friends Patty and Sue to "move to Park City were we are ski bums". They soon turned the house at the turn-around into Motown Utah, where numerous Motown Reviews were held. While on a dinner date with someone else, she noticed Michael: "a cute little guy just my size". She asked him to dance, left her dinner date and went home with her dessert, where the sweetest relationship never soured. The two became "MikeandBarb" (one word) and their 44 year devotion to each other never ended.
In the early days of living in Park City, Barb's zest for life saw her become a member of the Night Riders (city girls on horses), participated in the annual main street keg toss ( the kegs were bigger than her), Ernie-the-breadman's demo derby ( she took first place) and The Bulkers dining group.
Her mother Floey, whom she loved dearly, taught her the basics of cooking. This gave her the foundation for her love of food and a starting point for her culinary career. Her first job was at the then locally famous Cest Bon Hotel and restaurant in Park City. She went on to study culinary arts in Detroit were she was told to go to secretary school because she was a woman and much too small the make a great chef (what a dumb ass thing to say to Barb). That ignited her feisty no B.S. decision to show him just how wrong he was.
Upon graduating, her culinary trip took her first to Nino's in Salt Lake and then to the Stein Eriksen Lodge in Deer Valley where she became the morning Sous Chef and employee of the year. She then went to the Riverhorse, wanted to change the boring menu and was once again put down by another arrogant man and told to "not reinvent the wheel" (another dumb ass thing to tell Barb). Without changing the menu but running her own food as the specials of the evening, she was soon given full reign to do whatever she wanted in the kitchen. (Smart move)
Several years later, she was approached by the Sundance Group to apply for the executive chef position at a soon-to-open new restaurant on Main Street. During her interview, her explosive enthusiasm for food astounded Robert Redford ( a very smart man) to the point that, on the spot he determined that she was the right person to launch the first restaurant outside of the Sundance Resort and "Zoom" was born. They have remained friends since that time and often she was told thank you by the investors that she made it the success that it was.
After five years of blowing minds with her incredible talent with some of the best food in Park City, she decided that it was time to open her own place. With people questioning her sanity, but with a huge leap of faith she opened Snake Creek Grill in the then culinary waste land of Heber City. It soon became more than just a restaurant. Barb's unending devotion to "her baby", the love that she gave to her staff and the warmth that she showered on her guests made Snake Creek a special place in many people's lives.
She told it like it was, never budged from her eye for detail and perfection and made the world a better place for all of us.
Upon her request, there will be no funeral service. She will be cremated, placed with the ashes of her mom, dad and countless animals that were lucky enough to be her pets at her home in Charleston, Utah. It's a special little world that she and Michael lived in and loved in for 38 of the best years that any two people could want.
A celebration of her glorious life will be held at a later date when the ultimate shock of this can somehow leave us all. In the meantime, have a Barb day where you tell those around you how much you care for them. Make it about them, not about you, as Barb always did. Thanks to everyone, way too many to mention, that participated in this incredible journey. We could not have done it without you.