Richard Earl Hall, son of George and Mardell Hall and a resident of Ivins, Utah, concluded his journey through mortality on January 30, 2020. Rich was born in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 23, 1933 and was raised in Berkley, California. He attended El Cerrito High School and went on to attend San Francisco State, majoring in Music. Eventually transferring to Brigham Young University, he graduated with a BS in 1958, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Accounting and Economics. More importantly to him, however, was meeting his eternal companion, Glyn Nora Ruth Schmitt, while at BYU. They were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City Temple on November 7, 1955. He was drafted into the US Army in 1953 and honorably discharged in 1955.
While in the United States Army, Rich was deployed to the Korean Conflict and assigned to the 92nd AFA, Red Devil Battalion. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal, among others. Although he enlisted with the Army, Rich spent time in basic training with the Marines at Camp Del Mar, California, training in tracked vehicle mechanics. He created a pictorial journal of his time while deployed and had this to say: "As for the experiences themselves, they were sometimes fun and sometimes not so fun. Anyway, I saw part of the world and met some people that became pretty good friends."
After graduating from BYU, Rich worked briefly for Kimberly-Clarke as a sales representative based in Scottsdale, AZ. Then one day, while at a Post Office, he saw a posting for intern positions in Houston, Texas with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the Johnson Space Center. He was accepted into the program and his family relocated to Houston. Rich and nine others were in the second Manned Space Center (MSC) Management Intern class that started in mid-June 1963. The ten rotated through several administrative areas for 6 months, then chose an organization in which to work. Of the original ten, six stayed for careers, Rich was one of the last two to retire, January 2, 1999. Throughout his career, Rich worked in various organizations within the Resources Management Division. He was also a manager, or Chief, of various Business Management Offices, including Center Operations Directorate and Safety, Reliability & Quality Assurance Directorate. His position at retirement was Manager of the Institutional Business Management Office - Business Management Directorate. Rich was gifted as a manager. He had the ability to lead his team beyond their own expectations, creating opportunities for each member to reach their fullest potential. He was supportive and encouraging of each members gifts and probably ahead of his time with the idea that together we are better than any one of us individually. .His career working with NASA would span 36 years and he would be involved in every major manned space program from the Mercury Missions to the International Space Station.
Retiring from government service, Rich and Glyn embarked on their next great adventure, accepting a call to serve and preside over the Nigeria Lagos Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His call as a mission president was not his first opportunity to serve in the Church. He held several callings in his life, such as Bishop, Ward Clerk, various positions in Priesthood Quorum presidencies, Sunday School President, Stake President, Youth Sunday School teacher, High Councilor and Gospel Doctrine Teacher. He loved everyone he was able to serve, but especially his missionaries in Lagos. When he returned from Africa, he was called by Pres. Gordon B. Hinkley to serve as a Sealer in the newly opened Houston Texas Temple.
Above all else, Rich loved and was devoted to his family. He loved his eternal companion, Glyn, and always acknowledged he would never of had the experiences and opportunities he did if she was not there to love, support and willingly serve with him. He encouraged his four children, Ken, Elizabeth, Jaime and Steve, to chase their dreams and was always there for them (even when they did not want him to be). He loved his grandchildren and great-grandchildren with all his heart and bragged about them to whomever was there to listen (whether they really wanted to hear it or not). He has set an example for them of service to others, but most importantly, love and importance of family.
Rich was a train and model railroad enthusiast and almost all family vacations were planned around train museums. He was a huge history buff and has a World War II history book collection to rival most public libraries. He was an amateur pilot and loved flying the Cessna 170. He was a pianist and percussionist in a jazz band while at San Francisco State and continued playing the piano all his life. While in high school and right after, he joined his local volunteer fire department. Later in life, he enjoyed spending time watching his grandchildren at their sporting events and performances.
Rich is survived by his wife, Glyn, his four children, Kenneth Earl (Martha), Elizabeth Anne Clawson (James D.), James Alan (Darlene), Steven Michael (Samira), 16 grandchildren, Joseph Earl (Christina), Richard Daniel (Kelly), Robert Kenneth (Violet), Nicholas Brian (Jennifer), Sarah Elizabeth Smith (Gavin), Brandon Darcy Clawson (Samantha), Kayleigh Mardell Wright (Christopher), Katherine Elizabeth Bowerman (Russell), Jayce Matthew Clawson, Justine Lanae Hardy (Joshua), Rebecca Christine Boring (Carl), Darci Renee, Todd Richard Clawson (Angela), Meg Briana Dale (Ryan), Olivia Potts, James Michael and Miriam, 34 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Rich was preceded in death by his parents, George Washington and Mardell Faye Hall, his brother George Boyd Hall, his son-in-law James Darcy Clawson and two great-grandsons Jordan and Grayson Wright.
Funeral Services will be held on Friday, February 7, 2020 at Noon, with visitation from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. at Larkin Mortuary - Downtown, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. Internment will take place at the Salt Lake City Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints' Perpetual Education Fund or Missionary Fund.
The family would like to thank the staff at the Bella Terra for the care given to Rich/Dad/Gramps/Great Gramps during his stay there.
