James, 67, of Riverdale, died Friday, in Lake Michigan west of Ludington when a medical flight plane enroute to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota malfunctioned and crashed.
A memorial service for Jim was held on Sunday, August 8th, at the Masonic Pathways Doig Chapel in Alma. A reception for all, with the family, will be held immediately afterward in the Masonic Pathways Doig Conference Center in the lower level of the building. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to any of Jim's service/activity organizations included later in this obituary or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Jim was born to Ralph D. and Ila F. (Long) Hall. He grew up in the small rural town of Lafayette, Ohio. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960, from Heidelberg College (in Ohio) in 1964 and The Ohio State University in 1972. Jim was a Peace Corps science and math teacher in Ethiopia during 1964 – 1966. He married Judith Ann Vallender of Beaverton, Michigan, a Peace Corps math teacher also, in Ethiopia, in 1965.
Jim worked at Akron City Hospital in a Family Practice Residency program from 1972 – 1975. He and Ann then moved to Alma to become part of the mid-Michigan community. He was a working family practice and emergency medicine physician the remainder of his life. He was an employee of Gratiot Family Practice for 23 years. He was affiliated with the Alma hospital all of his career in Michigan. He has been medical administrator of Masonic Pathways for the past two years. Jim and Ann moved to Riverdale to live at their cabin in northwestern Gratiot County in 2006.
He was widely and highly regarded as a capable, caring, compassionate and hard working man and medical doctor. During his many years in the mid-Michigan area, he was active in many social and service organizations including: the First Presbyterian Church of Alma, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the medical community of the local hospital (by several names), the American Red Cross in Gratiot County, Alma College, the Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners and many others. He coached Little League, worked with Boy Scouts, went on several mission trips to Central America, and did mission work elsewhere in the United States and locally. He was named the Order of the Tartan awardee in 1997. He traveled to Nigeria with his family with an Alma College group and to Cameroon to visit his son when James served in the Peace Corps.
He had a lifelong love of singing and encouraged others of all ages to sing. He sang in his church choir, with the Midstatesmen Barbershop chorus, as part of many quartets and small groups, and in several Gratiot County Players musicals.
Jim is survived by his wife Judith Ann Hall, son James (Maureen) of Lansing, son David (relocating from Arizona to Michigan this week), and daughter Elizabeth (relocating this week from Chicago to Minnesota); grandsons Alavedin Hall, Joshua Hall and Patrick Hall; brother Dean (Darlene) of Lima, Ohio, sister Rosalie (Roger) of Vermillion, Ohio and uncle Giles Long of Thornville, Ohio; and three nephews and a niece. He has many in-law relatives through his wife's eleven brothers and sisters and their families and his mother-in-law, Ella (Seltz) Vallender, of Beaverton, Michigan. He has "chosen" family members, including Bob Lombard of Phoenix, Arizona and Riverdale, Michigan; Lynne Ludy of Alma; Karen Smith of Tucson, Arizona and Alma; and Svitlana Kobzar of Cambridge, England and Kiev, Ukraine. He considered many other community members part of his greater family.
All persons who knew Jim have strong specific memories of their contacts with him which are a mix of grateful, sad, humorous, and sometimes difficult occasions. He will be greatly missed.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home in Alma.
A memorial service for Jim was held on Sunday, August 8th, at the Masonic Pathways Doig Chapel in Alma. A reception for all, with the family, will be held immediately afterward in the Masonic Pathways Doig Conference Center in the lower level of the building. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to any of Jim's service/activity organizations included later in this obituary or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Jim was born to Ralph D. and Ila F. (Long) Hall. He grew up in the small rural town of Lafayette, Ohio. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960, from Heidelberg College (in Ohio) in 1964 and The Ohio State University in 1972. Jim was a Peace Corps science and math teacher in Ethiopia during 1964 – 1966. He married Judith Ann Vallender of Beaverton, Michigan, a Peace Corps math teacher also, in Ethiopia, in 1965.
Jim worked at Akron City Hospital in a Family Practice Residency program from 1972 – 1975. He and Ann then moved to Alma to become part of the mid-Michigan community. He was a working family practice and emergency medicine physician the remainder of his life. He was an employee of Gratiot Family Practice for 23 years. He was affiliated with the Alma hospital all of his career in Michigan. He has been medical administrator of Masonic Pathways for the past two years. Jim and Ann moved to Riverdale to live at their cabin in northwestern Gratiot County in 2006.
He was widely and highly regarded as a capable, caring, compassionate and hard working man and medical doctor. During his many years in the mid-Michigan area, he was active in many social and service organizations including: the First Presbyterian Church of Alma, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the medical community of the local hospital (by several names), the American Red Cross in Gratiot County, Alma College, the Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners and many others. He coached Little League, worked with Boy Scouts, went on several mission trips to Central America, and did mission work elsewhere in the United States and locally. He was named the Order of the Tartan awardee in 1997. He traveled to Nigeria with his family with an Alma College group and to Cameroon to visit his son when James served in the Peace Corps.
He had a lifelong love of singing and encouraged others of all ages to sing. He sang in his church choir, with the Midstatesmen Barbershop chorus, as part of many quartets and small groups, and in several Gratiot County Players musicals.
Jim is survived by his wife Judith Ann Hall, son James (Maureen) of Lansing, son David (relocating from Arizona to Michigan this week), and daughter Elizabeth (relocating this week from Chicago to Minnesota); grandsons Alavedin Hall, Joshua Hall and Patrick Hall; brother Dean (Darlene) of Lima, Ohio, sister Rosalie (Roger) of Vermillion, Ohio and uncle Giles Long of Thornville, Ohio; and three nephews and a niece. He has many in-law relatives through his wife's eleven brothers and sisters and their families and his mother-in-law, Ella (Seltz) Vallender, of Beaverton, Michigan. He has "chosen" family members, including Bob Lombard of Phoenix, Arizona and Riverdale, Michigan; Lynne Ludy of Alma; Karen Smith of Tucson, Arizona and Alma; and Svitlana Kobzar of Cambridge, England and Kiev, Ukraine. He considered many other community members part of his greater family.
All persons who knew Jim have strong specific memories of their contacts with him which are a mix of grateful, sad, humorous, and sometimes difficult occasions. He will be greatly missed.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home in Alma.
James, 67, of Riverdale, died Friday, in Lake Michigan west of Ludington when a medical flight plane enroute to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota malfunctioned and crashed.
A memorial service for Jim was held on Sunday, August 8th, at the Masonic Pathways Doig Chapel in Alma. A reception for all, with the family, will be held immediately afterward in the Masonic Pathways Doig Conference Center in the lower level of the building. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to any of Jim's service/activity organizations included later in this obituary or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Jim was born to Ralph D. and Ila F. (Long) Hall. He grew up in the small rural town of Lafayette, Ohio. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960, from Heidelberg College (in Ohio) in 1964 and The Ohio State University in 1972. Jim was a Peace Corps science and math teacher in Ethiopia during 1964 – 1966. He married Judith Ann Vallender of Beaverton, Michigan, a Peace Corps math teacher also, in Ethiopia, in 1965.
Jim worked at Akron City Hospital in a Family Practice Residency program from 1972 – 1975. He and Ann then moved to Alma to become part of the mid-Michigan community. He was a working family practice and emergency medicine physician the remainder of his life. He was an employee of Gratiot Family Practice for 23 years. He was affiliated with the Alma hospital all of his career in Michigan. He has been medical administrator of Masonic Pathways for the past two years. Jim and Ann moved to Riverdale to live at their cabin in northwestern Gratiot County in 2006.
He was widely and highly regarded as a capable, caring, compassionate and hard working man and medical doctor. During his many years in the mid-Michigan area, he was active in many social and service organizations including: the First Presbyterian Church of Alma, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the medical community of the local hospital (by several names), the American Red Cross in Gratiot County, Alma College, the Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners and many others. He coached Little League, worked with Boy Scouts, went on several mission trips to Central America, and did mission work elsewhere in the United States and locally. He was named the Order of the Tartan awardee in 1997. He traveled to Nigeria with his family with an Alma College group and to Cameroon to visit his son when James served in the Peace Corps.
He had a lifelong love of singing and encouraged others of all ages to sing. He sang in his church choir, with the Midstatesmen Barbershop chorus, as part of many quartets and small groups, and in several Gratiot County Players musicals.
Jim is survived by his wife Judith Ann Hall, son James (Maureen) of Lansing, son David (relocating from Arizona to Michigan this week), and daughter Elizabeth (relocating this week from Chicago to Minnesota); grandsons Alavedin Hall, Joshua Hall and Patrick Hall; brother Dean (Darlene) of Lima, Ohio, sister Rosalie (Roger) of Vermillion, Ohio and uncle Giles Long of Thornville, Ohio; and three nephews and a niece. He has many in-law relatives through his wife's eleven brothers and sisters and their families and his mother-in-law, Ella (Seltz) Vallender, of Beaverton, Michigan. He has "chosen" family members, including Bob Lombard of Phoenix, Arizona and Riverdale, Michigan; Lynne Ludy of Alma; Karen Smith of Tucson, Arizona and Alma; and Svitlana Kobzar of Cambridge, England and Kiev, Ukraine. He considered many other community members part of his greater family.
All persons who knew Jim have strong specific memories of their contacts with him which are a mix of grateful, sad, humorous, and sometimes difficult occasions. He will be greatly missed.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home in Alma.
A memorial service for Jim was held on Sunday, August 8th, at the Masonic Pathways Doig Chapel in Alma. A reception for all, with the family, will be held immediately afterward in the Masonic Pathways Doig Conference Center in the lower level of the building. In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to any of Jim's service/activity organizations included later in this obituary or to a charity of the donor's choice.
Jim was born to Ralph D. and Ila F. (Long) Hall. He grew up in the small rural town of Lafayette, Ohio. He graduated from Lafayette High School in 1960, from Heidelberg College (in Ohio) in 1964 and The Ohio State University in 1972. Jim was a Peace Corps science and math teacher in Ethiopia during 1964 – 1966. He married Judith Ann Vallender of Beaverton, Michigan, a Peace Corps math teacher also, in Ethiopia, in 1965.
Jim worked at Akron City Hospital in a Family Practice Residency program from 1972 – 1975. He and Ann then moved to Alma to become part of the mid-Michigan community. He was a working family practice and emergency medicine physician the remainder of his life. He was an employee of Gratiot Family Practice for 23 years. He was affiliated with the Alma hospital all of his career in Michigan. He has been medical administrator of Masonic Pathways for the past two years. Jim and Ann moved to Riverdale to live at their cabin in northwestern Gratiot County in 2006.
He was widely and highly regarded as a capable, caring, compassionate and hard working man and medical doctor. During his many years in the mid-Michigan area, he was active in many social and service organizations including: the First Presbyterian Church of Alma, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the medical community of the local hospital (by several names), the American Red Cross in Gratiot County, Alma College, the Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners and many others. He coached Little League, worked with Boy Scouts, went on several mission trips to Central America, and did mission work elsewhere in the United States and locally. He was named the Order of the Tartan awardee in 1997. He traveled to Nigeria with his family with an Alma College group and to Cameroon to visit his son when James served in the Peace Corps.
He had a lifelong love of singing and encouraged others of all ages to sing. He sang in his church choir, with the Midstatesmen Barbershop chorus, as part of many quartets and small groups, and in several Gratiot County Players musicals.
Jim is survived by his wife Judith Ann Hall, son James (Maureen) of Lansing, son David (relocating from Arizona to Michigan this week), and daughter Elizabeth (relocating this week from Chicago to Minnesota); grandsons Alavedin Hall, Joshua Hall and Patrick Hall; brother Dean (Darlene) of Lima, Ohio, sister Rosalie (Roger) of Vermillion, Ohio and uncle Giles Long of Thornville, Ohio; and three nephews and a niece. He has many in-law relatives through his wife's eleven brothers and sisters and their families and his mother-in-law, Ella (Seltz) Vallender, of Beaverton, Michigan. He has "chosen" family members, including Bob Lombard of Phoenix, Arizona and Riverdale, Michigan; Lynne Ludy of Alma; Karen Smith of Tucson, Arizona and Alma; and Svitlana Kobzar of Cambridge, England and Kiev, Ukraine. He considered many other community members part of his greater family.
All persons who knew Jim have strong specific memories of their contacts with him which are a mix of grateful, sad, humorous, and sometimes difficult occasions. He will be greatly missed.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Lux-Moody-Wolfel Funeral Home in Alma.
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