Jacqueline Morrow Hall
Friday, July 25th, 1930 – Saturday, July 11th, 2020
Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 12 noon at Oakey’s South Chapel
Jacqueline “Jackie” M. Hall, 89 of Roanoke passed away, surrounded by her family Saturday, July 11, 2020, just 14 days short of her 90th birthday. She was born July 25, 1930, daughter of the late Raymon and Lois Morrow. She was also preceded in death by her husband of 61 years, Weldon “Don” C. Hall; brother, Bruce Morrow and sister, Beverly Carper.
Jackie worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield as secretary to the Executive Director Southwest Region for over 20 years. After that, she worked with her husband at Don Hall Studio. When Don retired, she went back to Blue Cross and Blue Shield for 10 more years.
She is survived her son, R. Lynn Hall and wife Karen; stepson, Edwin C. Hall; 3 grandchildren, Nicole Hall Miller, Matthew Gearhart and Kelly Hall Crum; 2 great grandchildren, Grayson Gearhart and Austyn Crum; sister, Barbara Hobbs.
A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at 12 noon at Oakey’s South Chapel with Rev. C. Nelson Harris officiating. Burial will follow in Sherwood Memorial Park. Online condolences may be made at www.oakeys.com.
Eulogy by Lynn Hall
My mother Jacqueline (Jackie) Morrow Hall, 89, passed away surrounded by her family this past Saturday, just 14 days short of her 90th birthday. She had been a dialysis patient for 15 years and made the decision to discontinue treatments that no longer gave her any quality of life. I admit I struggle to imagine myself being able to meet death with even 1/10th of the solitude and dignity that I observed in my mother over these past weeks.
Despite being on dialysis for so many years, she never once complained, making lasting friendships with patients and nurses during her years of treatment. Everyone thinks they have a great mom, and I certainly did, expressed by so many people she had contact with, worked with, worshiped with, and became friends with. She willingly put the needs of those around her before her own needs. Words that come to mind about my mom included: independence, compassion, generosity, sensitivity, integrity, and dignity. She was a vibrant woman, who literally lit up the room whenever she entered, always eager to meet and socialize with friends old and new.
My mother was the oldest of 4 children born to Raymon and Lois Morrow. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband of 61 years (Don Hall), her brother (Bruce Morrow), and sister (Beverly Carper). She is survived by her son (Lynn & daughter-in-law Karen), Sister (Barbara Hobbs), step-son (Ed Hall), grandchildren (Nicole, Matt, and Kelly), and great granddaughters (Grayson & Austyn).
My mother worked for Blue Cross and Blue Shield as secretary to the Executive Director of the Southwest Region for approximately 20 years. She left Blue Cross to become a receptionist for Don Hall Studio, her husband’s business as a professional photographer. When he retired from photography, she returned to Blue Cross, for approximately 10 more years until she retired.
People always ask what your fondest memories are of your mother: There are many, but I will share a few that always stick out the most. First and foremost was her dedication to her family, her friends, her church family, and her faith. When I was young, my fondest memories are those of functions and picnics with the church and friends, family picnics with my brother and his wife (including cookouts on holidays and family badminton games), and the many family trips to visit her parents in Florida, where I learned to fish and play penny poker with other relatives.
Growing up, I remember my mother having a passion for music, mostly easy listening, instrumental, and jazz. Shows like Ed Sullivan, Glen Campbell, and Dean Martin were always on TV. But her favorite show and singer was Andy Williams. She had every album and I remember watching every TV show and Christmas special. She often came home from work to relax to her favorite Andy Williams songs.
But my fondest memories have been those of the past 3 years after my father’s passing, when my mother came to live with Karen and me. Karen and I discussed my mother coming to live with us, and without any hesitation at all, Karen was in full agreement. My mother was hesitant at first, but then agreed to make the move, and never looked back. We had already been planning a move to a bigger home, when the opportunity came for us to build close to where we were currently living. My mother was so happy to be a part of that move, as we included her in the design process and buildout of her own suite. She was so proud, often attending meetings with us on design changes, fixtures, furniture, etc. It was common, when coming home from work, for her to say, “Why don’t we all go out to eat, and stop by the house to see how it’s coming along,” with a big grin on her face.
After we moved into our new home, she was so proud to be there with us, telling all her friends about her home, her suite, and describing the layout, including her favorite spot, the screened porch. Our new neighborhood is like a family, where everyone looks out for one another, gets together for events, holidays, and dinners. Mother was always the first to accept any invitations, wanting to be a part of what was going on, and fellowshipping with the neighbors. She even liked to dress up for the neighborhood Halloween get parties.
Billy Graham once said:
“The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not the monetary or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith.”
Everyone who knew my mother knew of her strong faith. She was a lifelong member of Raleigh Count United Methodist Church. But what I think about is her character. The dictionary defines character as:
The way someone thinks, feels, and behaves; or the combination of features and traits that forms the individual nature for a person.
I believe my mother’s character was one to serve JOY. When we all come face to face with our Lord, one question he will ask of us is what difference we made to others. I can truly say my mother brought joy to every situation and to every person she knew or had contact with. So many people often referred to my mother as an angel, or a saint. To me, her legacy is JOY. And that JOY along with her faith is what strengthen and brought happiness to her life.
I learned a lot from my mother, especially the importance of family and friends, faith, and how to overcome adversity. With everything my mother had to go through with dialysis and the passing of her husband, she always managed to keep her faith, her character, and her priorities straight. She had thought about her life a lot over the past several months and prayed for answers. When her longtime treatments had stopped providing her with relief and quality of life, she knew it was time for her to move on to a new life, one with her Lord and Savior, and the family members who preceded her. She expressed her love and gratitude to Karen and I for what she said was 3 of the best years of her life. That will go in my memory bank as one of my favorite moments with her. We were lucky to have such a great mother and grandmother, and even luckier that we were able to spend so much time with her these past 3 years.
The morning following her death, I walked into her room. On her bed laid a single red rose left by the funeral home. I realize it was a simple gesture from the funeral home for our loss, but as I stared at that rose, highlighted by the morning light, it became so much more than just a simple gesture. I thought how ironic that a red rose is the number one flower that represents both love and death. This rose so delicately placed on her pillow, began to take on another meaning. I related the beauty of the rose to the beauty of my mother’s life and her love for us. Every open pedal became a memory of a change or event in her life, and a few of the tips had begun to darken, representing the ending to her life. Many people keep roses over time, sometimes pressed in something like a book. But what struck me is that years later, those roes still hold the beauty and life memories it was saved for, so I too will keep that rose as a memory of her wonderful life and the lessons she has taught me along the way.
Although we are never ready for an ending, it was my mother’s time for a new life. I know my life will forever be different without her, as for anyone who has lost a loved one. She will be forever missed, but never forgotten. Her love and joy for family will continue to be passed on for generations to come, and in doing so, she will live forever, through our memories, through the traditions that she made, and through our love for one another.
Before closing, I want to give a special thanks to my wife Karen, who not only encouraged my mother to live with us, but treated her like her own mother. They were more than just mother and daughter-in-law over the past 3 years. During the time mother lived with us, Karen was retired, so they had become very close, going shopping, to hair appointments, to luncheons, and to my mother’s circle functions with the church. Karen also took my mother back and forth to her dialysis treatments 3 days a week. Mother often told her friends that Karen was not her daughter-in-law, but her daughter. In many ways, Karen had become my mother’s best friend, a daughter, and her caregiver. Because of Karen’s nursing background, she went to great lengths to care for my mother in her final weeks. I have no words to express how much I appreciate her and how grateful I am for everything she did for my mother and our family.
I want to thank you all for coming and close by reading one of her favorite passages, the 23rd Psalm.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He maketh me lie down in green pastures:
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.
Yea, through I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil:
for thou art with me; Thy rod and
thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table for me in the presence
Of mine enemies: thou anointest my head
with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life: and I will
Dwell in the house of the Lord forever.