Edna Mae Hill was born on December 22, 1944, to Devoy Hill, Sr. and Ruby Mae Hill in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The third of five children, she was a precocious youngster, constantly looking for moments to define herself, sometimes with the help of her brother, Devoy, Jr., and at the expense of her sister, Faye. As a result of her religious upbringing, she accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age. After graduating from Manual Training High School in 1962, Edna seized an opportunity to establish her independence by enrolling in Grambling College, in Grambling, Louisiana, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work in 1966.

After graduation, Edna courageously moved to Los Angeles, California, and with the support of her paternal aunts, Willie Mae Hayward and Essie Mae Hill, she was able to flourish there. She held different positions while in Los Angeles, including that of a telephone operator and postal worker, but her career was defined by her 32-year tenure with the County of Los Angeles, where she served as a Deputy Public Guardian for the Department of Mental Health. She was the first African American woman to hold the position and blazed trails for women of all backgrounds to serve the County in that capacity. In her free time, she loved to travel domestically and internationally and would often brag about the few states left she had to visit in the United States.

Edna's greatest moment came in 1980, when she welcomed her daughter, Martinique, to the world. Martinique was her pride and joy, as she would often state that she always wanted a daughter. When Martinique was a child, Edna would often refer to her as "doctor," and would insist that she could become anything she wanted to be in life. She encouraged Martinique to dream big, all while making significant sacrifices to ensure that her daughter had what she needed to be successful. After suffering a stroke, she retired and returned to Muskogee, OK in 2000 to live with her mother and her sister Faye, who was pivotal in her rehabilitation. In 2011, Edna and Faye moved to Dallas, Texas, where they were cared for by Faye's daughter Kim. In 2012, she was elated to welcome her son-in-law, Terrance, to the family and in 2013, she experienced the joy of becoming a grandmother, with the birth of London, who often served as her accomplice in sneaking snacks and playing tricks on mom and dad. In 2015, Edna saw her vision come to fruition when Martinique received her Doctorate of Education from Loyola Marymount University.

In addition to her career and family life, Edna had a very active spiritual life. She was a member of First AME (FAME) Church in Los Angeles, where she taught Sunday School, was a member of the Sarah Allen's Women's Missionary Society, and was a long-time member of the Brookinaires Choir.   In Muskogee, she was a member of Rayfield Baptist Church and later Dean's Chapel Baptist Church and sang in the choir at both churches. In 2016, she returned to live with her daughter in Los Angeles, and continued to attend FAME Church physically or by watching services online, when her mobility lessened.

Edna Mae Hill received her heavenly wings on February 20, 2019 surrounded by those who loved her. She was preceded in death by her parents Devoy and Ruby Hill, her sister Linda Hill, and her brother, Devoy Hill, Jr. She leaves to cherish her memory her daughter and son-in-law, Martinique and Terrance Starnes, of Inglewood, California, her sisters, Faye Adams and Pamela Hill of Dallas, Texas, a granddaughter, London Starnes of Inglewood, CA, special nieces Kimila Abernathy of Dallas, Texas, Yolynda Scott of Belton, Missouri, and Safisha Hill of Dallas Texas, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.

A Home Going Service is scheduled Saturday, March 2, 2019, 11:00 a.m., Deans Chapel Baptist Church, 1119 S. Junction St.  Muskogee, OK; interment will follow in Booker T. Washington Cemetery, Muskogee, OK.

Visitation will be Friday, 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m.

The family has been cared for by House of Winn Funeral Homes, Muskogee, OK.