A beloved son of Vashon, Sean Ogawa Hillman, died on Monday, April 24, in San Luis Obispo, California. He was 20 years old.

Sean’s death was caused by injuries sustained three days earlier after he was struck by a pick-up truck while riding his bike to work. At his death, he was surrounded by family members who had traveled to be at his bedside in the ICU of Sierra Vista Hospital.

As a freshman student at California Polytechnic State University, Sean was studying architectural engineering. At CalPoly, he was also a member of the scuba diving club and hiking club.

The son of Mayumi Ogawa and Carl Hillman, Sean was born in Seattle on March 7, 2003.

At the age of five, he moved to Tokyo with his mother, where he was visited frequently by his father and other family members. At age 15, Sean chose to move to Vashon to live with his father, “bonus” mom Kim Cronin, and “bonus” sister Brynn Adelia Reardon Cronin.

On Vashon, Sean thrived, excelling as a student at Vashon High School and forming many deep friendships.

His remarkable life touched many others on the island.

While in high school, he was on the school’s golf team, worked as the head lifeguard at the Vashon Pool, and took part in the Vashon Island Fire Explorers program. He also earned his associate’s degree through the Running Start program, while working at three different after-school jobs. His grateful employers included May Kitchen + Bar and building contractor Ed Palmer.

A celebration of Sean’s life is being planned for this summer.

A full obituary will follow.