Washington state Senator Andy Hill has died
Nov 1, 2016, 4:34 PM | Updated: 9:20 pm
Washington state Senator Andy Hill has passed away after battling lung cancer.
Hill was 54, and leaves behind a wife and three children.
Hill, a Republican, represented the 45th Legislative District, which includes the communities of Redmond, Woodinville, Kirkland, Sammamish and Duvall. He was initially elected to office in 2010, and was serving his second term as senator.
“Andy Hill was one of the finest public servants the State of Washington ever knew,” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Schoesler. “He deeply loved his wife and kids. He was passionate about giving back to his community. After his first recovery from cancer, he used his second chance at life to make Washington a better place to live. I am grieving Andy’s loss.”
Governor Jay Inslee also released a statement upon hearing of Hill’s death saying he is “deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Andy Hill.”
“Senator Hill was a dedicated legislator who served with distinction,” Inslee said. “His voice in Olympia will be missed.”
Hill was chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, and was involved in educational issues in the state. Schloeser notes that Hill was an important factor in developing the last two state budgets that put $4.6 billion into K-12 education, and also cut college tuition in the state.
Before he was elected to office, Hill was a program manager at Microsoft. KIRO 7 reports that he never smoked, and was first diagnosed in 2009. The cancer spread to his lymph nodes. Then to his lungs, even after chemotherapy and radiation. Hill took part in a clinical trial and was cancer free since 2010. He announced that the cancer had returned in June.
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