Aaron Joseph Hill, a former lone soldier who died in early March in a snowboarding accident in Colorado, will be buried in Israel on Tuesday, after nearly 500 donors raised nearly $47,000 to help pay for funeral expenses.
He will be laid to rest in the Ein Iron Moshav in northern Israel, near the city of Hadera.
"The family's wishes are to bury Aaron in Israel, where his heart always was and remains," read the GoFundMe page to raise costs for his funeral expenses.
In the seven days since the GoFundMe campaign was posted, 497 people raised $46,245, the excess of which will be donated to charity "in Aaron's honor," the page said.
Hill, 30, died on March 3rd while snowboarding after hours on Aspen Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. He was killed after slamming into a shack at the base of the mountain, the Aspen Times reported. He suffered severe head injuries and reportedly was not wearing a helmet.
Hill made aliyah in 2008 and served in the Golani Brigade for 2 1/2 years, where he was recognized as an “outstanding soldier.” His younger brother, Jonathan, also made aliyah in 2012 and served as a lone soldier, as soldiers without family in Israel are known. He still lives in Israel.
A memorial service for Hill was held on Sunday in New York.
"Aaron lived life to the fullest," it was written about him on the GoFundMe. "Anyone who met him for 5 minutes knew this whole heartedly. He did so much in the little time that he had here, and died doing what he loved. With your help, let’s send this mensch off the way he deserves. To be in the land of his people forever. "
This article has been adapted from its original source.
