Obituary of Hilary Orlin Egan

Hilary “Duke” Egan, age 97 of West St. Paul, died on July 2, 2017 due to complications from a broken hip. Though his body was failing, he never lost his keen sense of humor. Hilary Orlin Egan was born on February 1, 1920 to John and Anna (Fontaine) Egan in Bangor Township, Pope County, Minnesota. He was of Irish and Alaskan Native ancestry. He was raised on the family farm near Sauk Centre, the twelfth of thirteen children. Hilary joined the National Guard at age 15, and was activated into the US Army before the Pearl Harbor attack. He was stationed in North Carolina, California and Hawaii. He was honorably discharged from the Army after WWII with the rank of First Lieutenant. He graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1949. On June 17, 1950, Hilary married Shirley Brownell in Minneapolis. Hilary worked for the State of Minnesota for 33 years, primarily as an accountant. He participated in the ground breaking ceremony for Southwest Minnesota State College (now University) in 1965, as the Business Manager. Hilary lived in Minneapolis, Rochester, St. Paul and then Marshall for 27 years before retiring to Florida in 1992. Hilary had many hobbies including beekeeping, wine making, raising rabbits, gardening, biking, weaving baskets, building cedar strip canoes and woodworking. He built a Grandfather Clock for each of his five children and a few other fortunate folks. He had a sharp mind and enjoyed games like Bridge, Cribbage, Yahtzee and puzzles. Hilary and Shirley enjoyed searching the beaches in Florida for shells. During the hot Florida summers, they camped at Pleasant Point in Madison Lake, MN. Hilary and Shirley traveled to England, Ireland and Alaska. In his later years Hilary excelled at cooking. They moved back to Minnesota in 2008 to be near their children. Hilary is survived by his wife of 67 years Shirley Egan of West St. Paul, daughter Teresa Egan of Oakdale, and her daughter Melissa Montgomery (Chris Lee) and great-grandson Derrick Montgomery, Jr of Maplewood, son Peter and his wife Carol of Mendota Heights and their children Ellie Egan of Duluth, and Kevin Egan of Sejong, South Korea, son Tom and his wife Betty of Fairmont, and their children Liz Egan of Olympia, WA and John and his wife Rachel and great-grandson Olin of Blaine, daughter Mary and her husband Robert Kittleson of Ceylon, and their children Jaci and Alan Sinnett of Lincoln NE, Carter Kittleson of Sacramento, CA and Nolan Kittleson and his fiancée Beth McDonald of Ceylon, and son Patrick Egan of Minnetonka, his brother-in-law Robert Zink of West Lafayette, IN, nieces, nephews and extended relatives. Hilary was preceded in death by his parents, two infant brothers, Philip and James, adult brothers Edmund (Eleanor), Francis (Ruth), John “ Butch” (Elaine) and by sisters Bea (John) Cox, Anne (Carl) Doughty, Sarah (Art) Mertz, Helen (George) Aldrich, Rita Kleinman (Robert Hill), Katie (Charles Karkalitz) Fontaine, Dorothy “Dot” Egan and sister-in-law Gloria (Brownell) Zink. A family memorial service will be held at a later date. Hilary will be interred with full military honors at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.