When mom of three and Oklahoma schoolteacher Holly Hill went out for a Valentine’s Day dinner in 2023, she had no idea she’d eventually lose her life. While enjoying her meal, things suddenly felt wrong. What she eventually discovered is that somehow, the margarita she drank had chemicals in it. For the next two years, she underwent countless procedures to repair the damage, but sadly, it couldn’t be overcome.
Hill, who was a third-grade teacher, died on October 23, 2025. “For the past two and a half years, while continuing to teach and care for her family, Holly faced a long and difficult medical journey,” her obituary reads. “Through fighting to survive countless procedures, hospital stays, and uncertain days, she met each challenge with courage, faith, and a quiet strength that inspired everyone around her. Her perseverance and love were nothing short of remarkable.”
That medical journey stemmed from drinking a margarita that was contaminated with industrial cleaning solution. Hill’s mother, Kelly Hunter, spoke with News 9 about the drink that eventually cost her daughter her life.
“Her mouth was on fire, and she knew something wasn’t right,” Hunter explained. “She immediately jumped up and ran to the bathroom, started throwing up, started rinsing her mouth out with water.”
In the days and weeks after drinking the cocktail, Hill kept returning to the emergency room. Hunter said her daughter’s esophagus was the most damaged because of chemical burns. Over the last two and a half years, she had undergone dozens of procedures to fix the damage.
On October 17, 2025, her doctors reported that her esophagus seemed to be healing. Sadly, only a few days later, complications arose, and she was gone.
“As they were trying to get her ready to transport her, they lost her pulse,” Hunter explained to News 9.
Hill’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Hacienda Las Margaritas Bar & Grill in 2023. A confidential settlement was reached this year, but Hill’s death confirms to her family that they must keep fighting for justice.
“The number one thing that we really want at this point, and out of this, is we want people to be aware of what happened at that restaurant and to quit supporting them,” Hunter told the outlet. “We want them to be held accountable for taking my daughter’s life; because they did. It might have been a long fight, but ultimately, they are the cause.”
In a Facebook post, the Elgin Police Department announced that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation will be the lead agency in investigating the death of Hill. They are not sharing any details about the investigation.
Based on the reaction to her death, it’s clear that Hill was beloved by her community. A GoFundMe account was started to help support her family through this difficult time, and Elgin Public Schools Superintendent Nate Meraz released a statement about her death to the school community, Fox 23 reported.
“Please join me in sending our heartfelt condolences to the family of one of our beloved teachers, Holly (Hunter) Hill. This morning I received the unimaginable call that Holly had passed away unexpectedly,” he wrote. “Holly was a dedicated teacher, Elgin Alumni, and beloved mother and wife. She was an Owl through and through and we lift her family up in prayer tonight.”
