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Obituary for LILL


Published in the Albuquerque Journal on Thursday January 11, 2007

Daniel Coit Lill, born in Chicago, IL on February 22, 1942, passed away early Thursday morning on January 4, 2007. Daniel was the third of five sons born to Eleanor Coit Lill and George Lill II. As a young man, Daniel participated in the family business, Lill Coal & Oil, and spent his summers on the family's working farm on Green Lake, WI. A graduate of Winnetka's New Trier High School, class of 1960, Daniel came to Albuquerque at attend UNM. After leaving school to work for Richard Nixon's presidential campaign, he returned to the University, joining the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and earning a Bachelor's Degree in business administration before becoming a graduate of UNM's law school in 1969. Daniel served a one-year term as a law clerk under Judge Oman at the NM State Court of Appeals before opening up his own practice in Albuquerque, where he specialized in trial law and insurance fraud. He loved the law and worked at his profession until his death. In addition to being a member of the NM State Bar Association and the NM Trial Lawyers Association, Mr. Lill was a long-standing member of the Albuquerque Country Club. Daniel is survived by his wife of 40 years, Carolyn Phillips Lill, a fellow UNM student whom he met when they were both participating in a wedding party at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church on Valentine's Day in 1963. They were married in July of 1966. Together they had three children, daughter, Lorissa and husband, Dr. Bernhard Schilling of Syracuse, NY; and sons, Charles Coit and wife, Keena, Robert Duff Lill; and grandson, Cole Coit Lill, all of Albuquerque. He is also survived by three brothers, John Lill of WI, Steven Lill of Costa Rica, and William Lill of FL; and long-time friend, John McDonough of Kenilworth, IL. He was preceded in death by his eldest brother, George Lill III, formerly of Bolivia. Services will be held Friday, January 12, 2007, 2:30 p.m., at French Mortuary, University Blvd. Chapel with Rev. David Okerberg of First United Methodist Church officiating. A reception will follow. Friends may visit French Mortuary Thursday, January 11, 2007, from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made in Daniel's name to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1638, Albuquerque, NM 87103, Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 92614, Albuquerque, NM 87199, or through the Freedom is Not Free program, www.freedomisnotfree.com, an organization which supports our men and women in uniform, their families, and our veterans. French Mortuary 1111 University Blvd. NE 843-6333