Robert Dale Hall's Obituary
Robert Dale Hall, 88, beloved father, grandfather, uncle, husband, son, brother and friend, passed away at his home on the evening of May 27th, 2025, with his family by his side, after being bedridden just five days. On his last day, Rob received a personalized bedside service where a Haven chaplain quite movingly read and led responses from Rob’s Book of Common Prayer. He was anointed with oil, along with holy water that Rob had cherished and had used to bring comfort to others in the past. People who helped Rob celebrate his 88th (i.e., double infinity straight up!) birthday, including the best hospice nurse imaginable, were also there on the day he passed. In the days leading up to his last, Rob heard from loved ones through phone calls and recorded messages.
Born on April 21, 1937, in Riceville, Iowa, Rob was the youngest of Bob and Grace Hall’s two children. He loved trains and grew up in Northfield and Mankato, Minnesota, with his older sister Jeanne. After high school, Rob briefly enrolled at the University of Minnesota, where his lightning reflexes benefited from the tutelage of a grand master ping-pong player. These skills were retained throughout his lifetime and fueled his favorite retirement sport of ping-pong, which brought him notoriety whenever someone dared play him.
Rob next enlisted in the Air Force, serving for four and a half years as a paratrooper and a medic. One known station was earthquake cleanup in Morocco. Post service, Rob returned to school, maximizing the use of the GI Bill to earn a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Biology and a Master of Science in Ornithology from Mankato State University, while serving as a teaching assistant. The greatest benefit, however, was meeting Lois Bailey in the Mankato State ballroom.
Rob convinced Lois to marry him by telling her he’d show her the world if she did. He later admitted that he had no idea how he was going to do that. Yet, she became his lifelong partner. Their relationship spanned six decades of life’s adventures together, and their love story crossed several continents.
Rob could name any bird just by hearing a few notes of its song. After graduation, he intended to work as a forest ranger. However, given the paucity of open positions, he responded to an advertisement in the paper that led to a test. Apparently, he passed - since an unusual job offer followed that launched his distinguished career in U.S. intelligence. Rob served in positions of great risk and authority for more than three decades in postings from Asia to Europe. To hear more about Rob’s career and that of contemporary heroes, please keep an eye out for Andrew Meier’s book about Vietnam.
In retirement, Rob pursued his lifelong interest in birds and photography, hiking in the east coast marshes as well as the swamplands of Florida. He was often accompanied by his beloved poodles, Luther and Lanier, who adored him for all 17 years of their lives. He became a top-notch photographer, with high-quality framed pieces that were featured in museums and bird shows.
Rob thrived on learning new topics and loved to share what he learned. He applied his linguistic skills to master foreign languages, including Greek and Hebrew so that he could read the Bible in its original format. He indulged in the study of astrophysics and marveled at astronomical wonders of our universe as a favorite pastime in his retirement days. Like his wife, Lois, he strongly desired to contribute to education posthumously by donating his body to the Anatomical Board of the State of Florida (https://anatbd.acb.med.ufl.edu/ ).
Rob was known for his dry humor. For example, he often would say, “I may not be perfect, but parts of me are excellent!”. Also, if you fumbled retrieving your car keys, you might hear, “Well I hope you don’t disarm bombs for a living.”
Since Rob valued the pursuit of his passions, he was similarly supportive of his children and grandchildren in their pursuit of their passions and dreams. Whatever they did, he was proud of them and let them know by amplifying their successes through embellished stories. The details did not matter to him as much as the feeling he held in his heart for his loved ones.
Rob is survived by his two children and their spouses, Alexis (Andy) and Sacha (Dawn), as well as his three grandchildren, Adam, Andrew, and Rachel. Additionally, he is survived by nephews and nieces: Peter Andersen (Mariatu), Kurt Andersen (Marjorie), Dane Andersen, and Heidi Andersen. Rob is preceded in death by his wife, Lois (Bailey) Hall, his parents, Robert (Bob) John Hall and Grace (Truax) Hall, and his sister, Jeanne LuEllyn (Hall) Andersen.
A celebration of life and a ceremony at the Artichoke Lutheran Cemetery in Minnesota will follow placement of the commemorative stone for both Rob and Lois Hall.
In lieu of flowers and as acknowledgement to the valuable support that both Rob and Lois, as well as other elders in the area receive, the family kindly requests that donations be made to ElderCare of Alachua County: https://eldercare.ufhealth.org/get-involved/donate/.
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