Hilary Anne Westfall of Gloucester, born on May 30, 1991, passed away on December 1, 2023. She lived a full life adapting to several autoimmune conditions, including one that severely impacted her vision. Her life ended too soon with a sudden cardiac episode.
Hilary was a loving daughter, stepdaughter, granddaughter, stepsister, niece, and cousin. She is survived by parents, Marsha Westfall, Harry Dewey, and Greg Westfall; maternal grandmother, Clarice Smith, and step-paternal grandfather, William Dewey; stepsisters, Samantha Malstrom (daughters Lexie, Dana, Maddie) and Holly Dewey (fiancé Michael Spellman), aunts and uncles, Jeff (Melinda) Smith (Hunter and Peyton), Cheslie (Penny) Smith (Benjamin), Barry (Krista) Dewey, Kris Dewey, Jean (Scott) Traver, Tim (Kendra) Dewey, and Alicia Dewey, numerous cousins in Pennsylvania and other family members in North Carolina/Virginia, and a most dear family friend, Jayme Jannone (John) of Odessa, Fla. She was preceded in death by grandparents, Bennie H. Smith and Ida Jean Dewey, and uncle, Billy Dewey.
Born in Newport News, Hilary moved to Pennsylvania as a child. She was a strong student, loved learning, and independently studied other languages, including Japanese. Always a deep thinker and extremely logical, she embraced every opportunity in her thirst for knowledge. Hilary was an avid reader and had a large collection of the classics. From an early age, she also penned her own stories and was a lover of the arts: music, painting, photography, and pottery. She was invited to display her paintings at Brick-by-Brick Art Gallery as well as at pop-up art shows in Las Vegas and won multiple awards for her art throughout her too-short life.
She attended Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, Pa., and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies from Thomas Edison University, Trenton, N.J. Hilary explored a variety of industries, including employment as a Certified Nurse Aide, HR Scheduler/Planner, and in various departments at Busch Gardens and QVC. Her most recent position was managing a freelance communications business and was a self-taught, accomplished technology “geek.” She had a big heart, always caring, thoughtful, kind to others, and loved animals. She had an original sense of humor and a tremendous laugh that will be missed.
A Remembrance of Life service, conducted by the Rev. Jared Berry, will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 2 p.m. at Hogg Funeral Home in Hayes, Va. Hilary would have appreciated memorial contributions to be made to the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society, P.O. Box 385, Gloucester, Va. 23061. Services under the direction of Hogg Funeral Home & Crematory.