Maynard "Mick" Lee Hillestad

Maynard “Mick” Lee Hillestad, age 60, of Tea, South Dakota, passed away at Sanford USD Medical Center on October 13, 2024, from complications of diabetes. The love of his family surrounded him.

A funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, 5500 East 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108. Interment with military honors will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery, Sioux Falls. A visitation with family present will be held from 5:00 – 8:00 pm on Friday, October 18, 2024, at Miller Southside Chapel, 6200 W. 41st Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57106. Visitation will be held one hour prior to his service, from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. at the church. 

Mick was a Valentine’s baby, born on February 14, 1964, to James and Barbara (Quam) Hillestad in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The family moved to Sioux City, Iowa, returning to Sioux Falls, SD, when Mick was two. Except for a brief move to Colorado, he remained in and around the Sioux Falls area for the remainder of his life. He attended Hayward Elementary School, Axtell Middle School, and the original Washington High School. After obtaining his general education diploma, he worked at Linton Manufacturing, making microwave ovens. He enlisted in the Army National Guard and attended basic training in 1984 at Fort Dix, NJ. Mick remained in the military for nearly six years until he was medically discharged upon being diagnosed with diabetes. He was proud of his military service and loved to talk with other veterans about their service. 

Mick eventually followed his father into the field of plumbing, where he built a successful career as a journeyman and master plumber. He worked for several plumbing shops around Sioux Falls, owned his own plumbing business, and spent the last twenty years working as a plumbing inspector for the City of Sioux Falls. There wasn’t a plumbing question that he didn’t know the answer to. 

Mick met Shelley Deuter (Westhoff) in 1983, and the two married between 1984 and 1997. They had three sons, Jade, Cody, and Dylan. He met Angie Sabella (Hillestad) in 1998, and the two married from 2007 to 2022. They had one son, Cameron. 

Mick loved having his sons and their families over for his signature meal of ham and cheesy hashbrowns. He loved watching Cameron play soccer and football and was proud of each of his boys and their different and unique accomplishments. He would have done anything to help them. He loved motorcycles, snowmobiles, UTVs, and being outdoors. He enjoyed working in his yard, riding his Polaris General around Tea and the Black Hills, hollering at his dogs, and hanging out in his garage. He was a perfectionist and was known for being a bit stubborn. He was never shy about telling you what he was thinking. Mick was quick with sound advice and a silly joke and had an extraordinary smile that made his eyes sparkle. His laugh was contagious. He was genuinely interested in other people and could carry on a conversation with anyone he met.

Mick will be deeply missed by his beloved sons, Jade (Tashia) Hillestad and their children, Josie, Amelia, and Jude; Cody (Joselyn) Hillestad and their children, Athena, Isabella, Amelia, Adyn, and Adley; Dylan (Abbey) Hillestad and their son Oliver, and Cameron Hillestad; siblings, Jeff (Linda) Hillestad, Jodi (Jim) Sands, Dean Hillestad, Alan (Jen) Hillestad; all of his nieces and nephews, who all say Uncle Mickey is their favorite; mother of Cameron, Angie Hillestad; and his best friend and neighbor, Bryan (Amanda) Treloar.

Mick will be welcomed into heaven by his parents, Jim and Barb Hillestad; his grandparents, Henry and Bernice Quam; Harry and Francis Hillestad; his granddaughter, Kotah Hillestad; and his father-in-law, Gerry Ebel. 

May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face; the rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again my friends, may God hold you in the palm of his hands.